Unstoppable
by The-Other-Ghostwriter
Summary: Everything crashes and burns with Ron. He gives up control to the dark entity that dwells within his mind, and only two prophesized former villains with unique powers hold the key to stopping him before he reigns darkness down on the Earth. VERY dark fic.
1. Prologue

**_Based mostly on my fanart from deviantart . com; I simply HAD to write the story down. It was too good not to._**

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**Prelude**

Despite the goodness of man, no matter how good, there is always the threat of evil inside. It's inevitable, unavoidable. Man can ignore it, suppress it, and minimalize it all they want, but it will always remain there; waiting, churning, and festering from disuse. All it takes is one wrong decision, one wrong choice, one wrong move, thought, or emotion for it to burst out, and that's when the bad things happen. That's when evil reigns supreme.

That's how villains are born. They are born from the outpour of suppressed evil that had been uncorked by a wrong decision, or festering emotions caused by an outside source. They turn to villainy to find an outlet for all of that evil inside of them, and very few manage to exhaust the evil and return to almost normal.

Some people, on the other hand, are born with evil. They live their lives as seemingly happy, good, and heroic people, and they are ultimately the worst of the ignorants, suppressors, and minimalizers; but in the end, they become the worst villains of all.

And this is the story of how a hero became a villain because of that evil which dwells in us all.


	2. StoneThrowing

**Here's to hoping this doesnt completely turn ya'll off to the story to come...**

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"BOOYAH, FINAL-LY!" Ron Stoppable ran out of the building from his AP Ancient History class, not caring who heard or saw his immature display of joy derived from the beginning of summer vacation. Of course, he got a few odd looks and laughs from his fellow peers, but he couldnt be assed to care; it was the last day of school, and he was ready to go home for the summer!

Ron skipped the last four steps of the building and ran straight to his dorm room, a borderline-insane grin on his face the whole way. He was so excited to get home and see his mother, father, baby sister, Rufus, and most importantly, his girlfriend Kim Possible. He felt his heart double-time (which was already doing overtime from his running) at the thought of his red-haired beauty queen.

He and Kim were going to schools on pretty much opposite sides of the country, but via web-cam and Kimmunicator (as well as the ever-important Christmas/Hanukkah get-togethers over winter vacation), they had remained a couple strong. Ron couldnt wait to get home just to hold her in his arms again; it was bad enough he rarely saw her in person, and because of year-end finals, they hadnt even seen each other via web or Kimmunicator at all. They did have to study, after all, and Ron was dead glad he had. Mr. Brunner's AP Ancient History final was no walk in the park.

Ron slowed down as he came to his dorm building and as he climbed the stairs to the third floor, he found himself thinking about the past two years at the school. He was twenty-one right now, but just finishing up his second year of college while Kim was finishing up her third. He had taken a year off to earn some extra money, working three jobs; one part-time at Smarty Mart two full-time jobs at Bueno Nacho and Pearbee's as their assistant manager and sous chef, respectively.

That money paid for his first semester of Briar's End College, and he had studied his ass off to get a high-enough GPA for a scholarship for the rest of the time there, which he rightfully earned and now his way was being paid for all four years. He kept his grades up, not letting anything slip below a B, and finding that he could focus pretty well when he didnt have to do anything but go to school, take notes, study, go to the occasional get-together, and work. Aside from being a full-time student, he also held a part-time job at the nearby Pearbee's as once more, the sous chef, and getting paid a very good wage for it. That money usually went to gifts for Kim for her birthday, Christmas, and 'just-becauses'.

As Ron unlocked his dorm room and found that his roomate Carl had already left, he began double-checking to see that he had everything packed and to make sure his bus ticket was still in its proper place. Everything checked out. Ron looked at his watch and found that he still had an hour before his bus came, and took out his Kimmunicator.

Other than using it for missions, he used it for talking to Kim and Wade. He hadnt been on a mission in two years, and although he appreciated the time it left him for school and personal time, he wished deep-down that SOMETHING would happen that would require his skills as both a distraction and the Ultimate Monkey Master; hell, the last time he'd used even a portion of his Mystical Monkey Power was when he had to break up a fight in the courtyard last year. THAT had been fun, explaining to the martial arts club why an apparant master of Tai Sheng Pek Kwar had yet to join their club. But he digressed.

He turned on the Kimmunicator and smiled as he saw Wade. "Hey, Wade, what's up?" he asked. Wade looked up from whatever he was doing and grinned at Ron.

"Ron, hey!" he greeted. "Wow, it's been awhile! What, three, four months? You're letting your hair grow out?"

"Heh, no kidding," Ron replied, tugging on a lock of bangs, which were eye-level by now. "Something tells me that Kim'll want me to cut it; she always liked short hair on me." He didnt really notice Wade's grin falter fractionally from the mention of Kim. "I just need to make sure that my buss'll be here on time."

"You're taking a BUS home?" Wade asked incredulously. "Ron, you know I can get you a ride..."

"Wade, the Ron-Man's a big boy now," Ron replied, smirking. "I can get my own way home." Wade rolled his eyes and typed something on his computer. "...You're good to go, man," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "And congrats on the grades, Ron! All A's! And in AP Ancient History, Latin, and physics? Who knew you had it in you?"

"I passed physics with an A? Sweet!" Ron punched his fist in the air in triumph. "I am on a roll!"

"What did you want your major to be again?" Wade asked. "You seemed kinda torn between Ancient History and culinary arts..."

"Eh, they both have their pros and cons," Ron replied, shrugging. "You never really know when mention of Mystical Monkey Power shows up in your college text book."

"It HAS?"

"Uh huh. Twice."

"Nice." Wade did some more typing on his computer. "You might want to go to the bus terminal now...it looks like they're ahead of schedule."

"Awesome." Ron bent down to pick up one of his carryon bags; he'd already sent his larger things to his parents' house already. "Hope to see you in person sometime this summer."

"Dont hold your breath, Ron." Ron smirked and turned the Kimmunicator off and stuck it in his cargo pocket, then picked up his other carryon and headed out the dorm room toward the student life building to drop off his key. Right after that, it was a quick walk to the bus depot just down the street from the school, and Ron was on his way back to Middleton for his summer vacation.

* * *

"RONNIE!" Ron nearly had the wind knocked out of him by Hana, whose head smacked right into his gut as she gave him a running-start dive-bomb. Ron laughed and picked his little sister up and spun her around over his head.

"Hana! How's the best little sister in the world?" he said, hugging her. Hana hugged his neck and didnt let go; he really couldnt blame her. They had a really special bond that often surpassed even blood-sibling bonds, and it wasnt just from Mystical Monkey Power or the ninja bond. Ron carried Hana to his parents, who were waiting by the car. "Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!" he greeted.

"Hi, Ron!" his mother greeted back, hugging him. "You're letting your hair grow out?" she asked, first and foremost. Ron rolled his eyes and grinned, then handed his bags to his father, who stashed them in the trunk. "So how's school?"

"Passing with all A's," Ron replied, feeling justified to use a smug tone. "Took my AP Ancient History exam today and TOTALLY owned it!" He put Hana into her car seat and strapped her in securely before sliding into the seat next to hers.

"Any idea what your major's going to be?" Mr. Stoppable asked as he started the car. Ron withheld a snort.

"I'm not going to be an actuary, Dad," he replied. "You know that numbers arent my strong suit...nah, I was thinking either an ancient historical researcher...or a master chef. Tough call."

"Weseawchah!" Hana spoke up. Ron smiled; he thought it was cute the way how she could never pronounce her R's, except in his name. He reached over and ruffled her hair.

"I'll keep that in mind, O Wise One," he replied. Hana giggled. "How's Rufus?"

"He's waiting to see you," Mr. Stoppable said. "He's been a little down since you left back to college after Spring Break. He was still asleep when we left to pick you up."

"Aw, he's probably just resting up for the summer," Ron said, smiling to himself. "Cant wait to treat him to Bueno Nacho tomorrow!"

The rest of the car ride to the house was spent talking about Ron's school time, his future, and what he wanted to do this summer vacation. When Ron finally made it to his old room, he found Rufus curled up -still asleep. Ron smiled and gently picked his best friend up. "Hey, little buddy," he said softly, stroking a finger down Rufus's back. "I'm back."

Rufus stirred and blinked up at Ron for a moment before letting out a happy squeal and hugging his master's face. Ron laughed and let Rufus crawl to the top of his head an yammer away. "I missed you too, Rufus!" He sat down on his bed and looked around his old room contently. "Whaddya say we call up KP and make plans for tomorrow? Bueno Nacho, Rufus..." he said temptingly. Rufus made a "mmmm..." sound and curled up on Ron's shoulder as Ron pulled out his Kimmunicator and put in Kim's code.

He waited for it to connect, but for the next few moments, there was nothing. "...Huh...wonder if Wade knows where she is." He put in Wade's code, and Wade showed up. "Hey, Wade, do you know where KP is? She's not answering her Kimmunicator."

Wade shifted around almost uncomfortably for a moment before looking back on a computer screen. "Ron, Kim called her parents just two hours ago, and told them that she's in California right now, on her own vacation. She wont be back for about...two weeks..."

"TWO WEEKS?" Ron shouted.

"Two weeks!" Rufus chimed in. Ron sighed, and ran a hand through his hair.

"Darn it...I really wanted to spend time with her," he muttered sullenly. "I mean...two weeks? Why cant she come HERE?" Wade hesitated for just a moment before shrugging.

"I guess she wants to unwind from her studies," he replied, though Ron subconsciously heard an underlying subtext somewhere in his voice. "Dont worry Ron. In two weeks, she'll be back in Middleton. Why dont you just spend time with your family until then? I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on."

"Yeah...you're right, Wade," Ron replied, giving his friend a smile. "And hey, this extra two weeks'll give me time to think up something really special to do for Kim when she comes back!" He broke off into his thoughts, putting a pensieve hand to his chin. "...Until then, I'm sure Hana would love a trip to the zoo, and the park..."

"Yeah, you do that, Ron," Wade said, giving his friend a brave smile. "I'll catch you later, alright?"

"Okay. If Kim contacts you before me, tell her I said hi, and call me!" Ron dictated, then turned off his Kimmunicator. "Hey, Buddy, whaddya say we go see what Mom's cooking for dinner tonight?" He blinked when Rufus didnt answer right away, and turned to see Rufus curled up sleeping on his shoulder. "...Rufus, wake up, little buddy." He prodded Rufus until the mole rat lifted his head and yawned. "Heh...I guess these couple years of no adventures left you bored, huh?"

"Mmhm..." Rufus replied, resting his head on his paws again. Ron smiled at his little friend.

"Well, I promise when I get some time, we'll go to something to whip us both back into shape, alright?" Rufus gave him an affirmative, and Ron walked back downstairs to see what his mother planned for supper.

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Back in Wade's room, the seventeen-year-old frowned at his satellite viewing of a California beach and put a hand to his face. "Damn it, Kim..." he muttered to himself. "...You're just gonna break Ron's heart, arent you?"

He had no idea just how accurate his statement would become.

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**Well, that's chapter one...the ball gets rolling next up.**


	3. Cracking

**Much love for the reviews! I hope I continue to interest you all!**

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Although he had ALWAYS said he wanted to get out of Middleton someday, Ron had to admit that it was great to be home. He didnt realize how much he missed Middleton until he came back to it. It was familiar to him, and familiarity was something Ron enjoyed. The day after he came back home for summer vacation, Ron took Hana to the zoo (where he had to quickly vacate the primate house after all of the monkeys inside bowed respectfully at them; being the Ultimate Monkey Master sometimes sucked when you were trying to keep a low profile), and then to Bueno Nacho, where he was proud to find Hana was just as much of a naco fan as he was.

Rufus tagged along, but slept most of the time in the zoo, and ate very little at Bueno Nacho. Still, Ron pegged it off as Rufus being 1) lethargic from lack of adventure, and 2) unused to eating Bueno Nacho from his time gone at college. After lunch, Ron took Hana to the mall, where he ran into Monique.

"Monique, hey!" he called over, waving. Monique looked up and grinned.

"Heeeeey, Ron!" she called back, rushing up to them and hugging Ron. "Boy, it has been so long! Man, college has been GOOD to you!" Ron blushed, grinning. "So, you're back for the summer?"

"Yep, just hanging out with the family and waiting for KP to come back from her vacation," he replied. "Have you heard from her?"

Monique shook her head. "I havent, Ron," she replied, shrugging. "God knows I've tried calling her, but hey, maybe she's finally cutting loose and having some FUN! That girl was just TOO All-American, if you get my meaning..."

Ron rolled his eyes. "I happen to LIKE All-American, _muchos gracias_," he replied. "It's why I fell in love with her." He looked down when he heard Hana yawning. "Aww...you ready to go home, Hana?" he asked, picking her up.

"Uh huh," Hana replied, snuggling into his shoulder. Ron smiled and turned back to Monique.

"Hey, keep in touch, we can go see some wrestling later, or something," he said.

"Alright!" Monique replied, turning to head to Club Banana. "CML, Ron!"

"...Acronyms, Monique...acronyms..."

"'Call Me Later'! Sheesh, boy, get with the program!"

"Bye!" Ron laughed, carrying Hana out of the Middleton Mall and to the car his parents loaned him for the day. He strapped Hana in smiled as she sucked her thumb contently as she drifted off to sleep. He brushed her shoulder-length hair out of her face and then went to the driver's side to head home. "It was good seeing old faces, Rufus," he said, taking Rufus out of his pocket and settling him into the passenger seat. Rufus yawned and muttered a small, 'mmhmm' before curling back up. "Jeeze, Buddy, we've gotta go on an adventure sometime to whip you back into shape!" He turned on the car and drove home, thinking of places he could take Rufus over the summer.

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The next two days came and went quickly enough, and Ron decided that he would get Wade to give him Kim's location in California so he could go surprise her for a day before going home and waiting for her to finish up her vacation. And hey, maybe he could convince her to come home early! Yeah, that'd be perfect! Ron went to bed early the night he made his plans, thinking that he'd ask Wade to hook him up with a quick ride to California the next day.

His dreams were odd that night; more like nightmares, really. He dreamt that he was lost in a jungle of sentient plants that kept hunting him on their own, along with sword-toting monkeys. And here he thought his monkey nightmares were over, he couldnt help but think dryly when he woke up the next morning. He got out of bed and stretched, looking out at the beautiful day through his window before turning to his bed, smiling. Rufus had curled up on his other pillow last night, and was still asleep.

"Hey, Buddy," he said softly, stroking his finger down Rufus's back. "Wake up, we're going to see KP today!" Rufus didnt move. "...Rufus, come on. California sun and air will be good for you. ...Rufus...?" He gently picked Rufus up, and immediately felt a prickling in the back of his neck that told him that something was very, very wrong.

Rufus's body was very cool and limp. It felt more like Ron was holding one of Kim's Cuddlebuddies, rather than his best friend. "R...Rufus...? Rufus, wake up...!" He held Rufus in one hand as he curled two fingers under the mole rat's chest, and feeling a cold, sick feeling in his stomach when he felt no heartbeat, no breathing, nothing. "Oh...oh, God, no...Rufus!" His legs gave out from under him as he held his little buddy in both hands, feeling the once-familiar onset of a panic attack settle in his chest. "RUFUS!"

His shouting brought both parents into his room, and before his father could ask why Ron was screaming at eight-a.m. in the morning, both he and his wife saw their son slumped on the floor with his naked mole rat in both hands, sobbing hysterically, and immediately knew what had happened. Mrs. Stoppable rushed forward and hugged Ron, feeling tears come to her eyes. Ron's father put a hand to his face, feeling deeply saddened by what had happened to Ron's pet. He knew how much Rufus meant to Ron, and didnt know what to do about it.

Hana ran into the room at all the commotion and began crying when she saw her big brother in so much pain, and Rufus dead. She just knew that Rufus had died. "Wufus..." she moaned through her tears. She rushed over to Ron and tried to comfort him, to no avail.

Hours later, Ron was still in the same spot on his floor, cradling Rufus to his chest. His tears had stopped, but his cries of heartache hadnt. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable had long since gotten dressed and fed Hana, who went right back to Ron after so she could be with him. Ron's mother had offered to take Rufus so Ron could get himself situated, but Ron had almost violently refused. He held Rufus closer to him and glared at her until she left, then he went right back to mourning.

This continued for the rest of the day, and his parents decided to let him be for the time being. Only Hana ventured into his room to cry with him over Rufus, and she even brought him a juice box and a cookie, which he hadnt touched, but he managed to give her a look of gratitude regardless. Evening finally came, and Hana was put to bed, and Ron was still on the floor of his room, leaning against his bed and looking dazed into a random point on the wall, his expression that of utter angst and a fight to process what had happened to his best friend.

He didnt sleep at all, and he knew that because the sun coming through his window finally hit his eyes, and he had to avert them. He absently looked at the clock. It was six-fourty-four, the next day. Ron looked down in his hands, then closed his eyes in pain at seeing Rufus there. Still dead. And it still hurt just as bad as it did yesterday.

Ron ignored the growling in his stomach and closed his eyes, feeling strangely enough exhausted in the mind, even though his body was twitchy and ancy. His eyes opened when he heard his Kimmunicator go off. It wasnt Wade's ringtone, though.

It was Kim's.

Ron numbly reached up with one hand and grabbed it, then took a moment to breathe before turning it on. Kim's beautiful face graced his view, and he saw that she had gotten her hair cut. It framed her face perfectly, even though he loved longer hair on her. He took a moment to notice that she had an apprehensive and anxious look on her face. "Kim..." he began softly.

"Ron, before you say anything, I HAVE to say this!" she suddenly cut in, as though she had been bottling something up and the pressure was just too much to hold back any longer. "Ron...I love you, you know that, right?" Ron furrowed his brow; did something happen?

"Kim, what's...?"

"Ron, you KNOW that, RIGHT?"

"Yes, Kim...I know, but why -?"

"Ron, I love you. I love you so much, but...oh God..." She broke off for a minute. "...Ron, I want you to know that while I've been away, I've NEVER cheated on you. I've NEVER kissed anyone else. NEVER."

It was too early for this, Ron found himself thinking, though that 'bad feeling' in the back of his neck was springing up again. "Kim, what are you...?"

"Ron, I love you as a friend." Ron suddenly felt his heart stop beating. "...I love you SO much as a friend...but since I've been in college...I...there's..." She sighed. "...Ron, there's someone else."

_'Ron, there's someone else.'_

_'Someone else.'_

_'Someone else.'_

Those words kept echoing in Ron's mind. His face must've shown his shock, because Kim continued. "I'm not replacing you, Ron! NO ONE can EVER replace you! But...I've...Ron, I've been thinking about this for a year now...trying to get my feelings together about this...and..." She paused. "...Ron, the Kimmunicator's breaking up, are you -?"

Before she could finish, the Kimmunicator, which was already in a hard grip in Ron's hand, suddenly crackled, fizzled, and was finally crushed to pieces in Ron's hand. Ron stared at the crushed Kimmunicator in his hand, a numbness so deep it was agonizing burrowing into his brain. After the longest time, Ron felt something in his chest clench, and he had the sudden urge to hide. Hide from Kim, his family, the whole God damned world.

The closest he could get was his closet. He practically dove inside and slammed the door shut, and pulled his knees up his chest and rested his forehead on them, struggling to control his breathing.

Rufus was dead.

Kim just broke up with him FOR ANOTHER MAN.

His world was breaking apart around him.

Everything was spinning out of control.

He had NO CONTROL.

NONE AT ALL.

He began hyperventilating; no control for even his own breathing, it would seem. Oh God, he was going to pass out any minute now, he just KNEW it...!

_'Control your breathing.'_

The voice inside of him was so strong, he had no choice but to obey it. Ron took a deep breath, held it, then let it out. Slowly. He did this again and again until he had his shuddery, sob-laced breath under control, and kept his head rested on his knees. Damn it all...he was acting like a child. The all A's-making, fucking Ultimate Monkey Master, savior of the planet Earth, acting like a CHILD!

_'"Wise men hear and see as little children do"...'_

...And where the hell did THAT come from...?

_'You, of course.'_

Now he was going crazy. Brilliant.

_'You're not going crazy, Ron. Though I am surprised that you dont remember me.'_

"I think I'd remember someone in my head," Ron replied out loud. "...Damn it, I did NOT just say that out loud..."

_'You're NOT crazy,' _the voice insisted. _'You're merely vulnerable, much like you were when you were a child. But that is a very good think, in both our cases.'_

"Why?" Ron couldnt help but ask, despite himself. He heard a distinct, if not rather disturbingly amused chuckle, in his head VERY clearly. "...Who ARE you...?"

_'Me?' _the voice said. _'You really DONT remember, do you? I'm the one who was there from the begining. I'm the one you buried in the back of your mind nie seventeen years ago. To put it in the simplest possible terms, Ron, I'm your other half. I'm YOU.'_

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_**Mmmyep, the ball really gets rolling after this. Hope your interest is piqued.**_


	4. Breaking

**Much love for the reviews, both good, and the occasional bad, but hey, no one's making anyone read this. **

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Ron could really do nothing but process what the 'voice' had said. The voice was HIM? If it was him, then why wasnt he aware of thinking it? It just sounded like another voice to him; the voice didnt even sound like HIS voice. "...I dont understand," he murmured out loud, his free hand clenching into his hair. "I dont...who are you? Just TELL me!"

_'I HAVE told you,' _the voice replied patiently._ 'I am YOU. I have always BEEN you, but you havent heard from me in close to seventeen years -since you were four years old."_

"...Four?" Ron queried, racking his brain to try to remember that far back. "...Four...why would you stop talking when I was four...?"

_'I NEVER stopped talking,' _the voice close to snapped right back, making Ron actually flinch_. 'YOU stopped LISTENING. Ever since you met Kim Possible, you stopped talking to me. You stopped listening to me. You might as well have shot yourself in the head then."_

"What makes you say that?" Ron asked. "Damn it...stop playing wiht my head! Just...just TELL me who you are!"

Silence ensued for a moment._ '...You used to have a name for me,'_ the voice replied._ 'You thought I was your 'imaginary friend' because your parents told you I was. You talked to me all the time. You listened to me. I protected you. What was my name, Ron?'_

Ron was close to panicking again; too much trauma in his brain in such a short amount of time. He clenched his fists tighter around his hair and felt tears prickle in his eyes. His breath began to go shallow once more.

_'NO,_' came the commanding voice once more. _'Relax. Breathe._' Ron felt his body respond to the commands as though they had been his own, and nearly jumped when he felt a ghost of a caress on the nape of his neck._ 'I had a name,'_ the voice said calmly. _'It was not really my 'name', per se, but you were a toddler, and decided to name me. What was my name?'_

Ron closed his eyes and forced himself to think back to pre-k and beyond. He remembered never having friends, but never being alone. He remembered his parents shaking their heads as they watched him converse to no one. He remembered the first day of pre-k, and three weird -albeit familiar-looking- bullies closing in on him.

_"I'm warning you! I have an imaginary friend, and he's HUGE!"_

_"Rufus."_ Ron shuddered and looked down at the body of the naked mole rat still cradled in his hand. "...Fuck...I remember...Rufus. I named you Rufus...!"

_'You remember,_' the voice replied, obviously pleased._ 'You were always fond of that name, and you never knew why, even when you named your naked mole rat. You felt...'_

"Like I was replacing something," Ron finished, his voice raising softly in epiphany. He ran a hand down his face, feeling dampness from the tears. "God...I remember...! I remember you!"

_'As you should,_' the voice said. _'I've been there since you were born. I'm your other side, you might say.'_

"...Other side...?" Ron asked. "...What does that mean...?"

_'Oh, come now, Ron,'_ the voice replied. _'Dont tell me that you've never felt 'incomplete', like you were a puzzle with many pieces missing. You cannot honestly tell me that.'_ And come to think about it, Ron couldnt honestly say that. He HAD always felt like there were missing pieces missing. Well, not always...there was that one time... _'When you became Zorpox,'_ the voice finished his thought for him.

Ron shuddered at the very thought. "Right," he muttered, leaning back against the wall of his closet. "I mean...I developed super genius and stuff when -"

_'Lies!_' the other voice almost shouted, making Ron jump again. _'It's a filthy lie, Ron! The Attitudinator did not 'give' you evil genius, it merely erased the fears, doubts, and moral boundaries that have been shoved down your throat since you met Kim Possible! You've ALWAYS had that genius! You've ALWAYS had that power! ALWAYS. I AM that genius! I AM that power, because I AM a part of YOU!_'

Well. THAT was a bit hard to swallow. Ron heaved a sigh of psychological exhaustion and leaned his head on his knees again. "...You mean to tell me that I've ALWAYS been a powerful genius?" he asked, sounding just a bit sarcastic. He heard a scoff inside of his mind.

_'Since the day you were born,'_ the voice replied firmly. _'I'm sure you've forgotten by now, but you could talk at seven months of age, and you were completely literate at age three.' _Ron's eyes widened.

"...No way."

_'Ask your parents. They got you tested, and you were a certified prodigy. They were advised to enroll you in a preschool for the gifted, but instead, they sent you to a normal preschool. Worst mistake they could have ever made.'_

"Why?" Ron asked. "I mean...if I hadnt gone to that pre-k, I'd have never met KP..."

_'EXACTLY!'_ Ron jumped again at the anger behind the word._ 'Have you not been listening, Ron? It wasnt your parents or your upbringing that locked your potential up! It was KIM POSSIBLE! SHE did this to you! SHE made you stop listening to me! SHE made you block your potential!'_

"That is NOT tr -!"

_'It IS true, Ron,_' the voice replied darkly._ 'She was your first friend; the first person who didnt call you a freak. You were SO eager to please her that you stopped talking eloquently and intelligently. You stopped trying to do your best, and instead let HER be the best. You slowly but surely forced yourself to dumb down, just so SHE wouldnt leave you. And she LET you! She KNEW what you were! She KNEW your genius!'_

"No, she couldnt have...!"

_'She did._' The voice was almost chilling by this point._ 'Your prodigy testing is well documented, and anyone from Wade to Global Justice can easily access it. Kim knows everything about you, including the testing. She KNEW that you were a certified prodigy, and KNEW that you could only improve as you got older. But did she help you? NO! Did she strive to make you do your best? NO! She PURPOSELY hindered you because she couldnt bear the thought of you being better than her! YOU! RON PRODIGY-OF-THE-CENTURY STOPPABLE!_'

Ron had to once more be reminded to breathe as he vehemently denied that Kim would have done that to him. After the longest time, the 'two' of them just sat in silence.

"...So when I became Zorpox," Ron finally said after awhile, "...I was just...being my true self...?"

_'Your true self with a touch of naughty,'_ the voice replied with 100% sincerity in its tone. _'But yes. Your true self.'_

"...But why would it happen...just like THAT?" Ron asked. The voice made a dryly amused sound.

_'The Attitudinator made you evil,'_ it replied._ 'And being evil, the walls that hindered your true potential -the walls of fear, doubt, inhibition, and morals- were torn down. Ron...the ONLY things keeping you from your potential are fear, doubt, inhibition, and morals. That's ALL. Or did you not notice that once you got rid of your fear of monkeys, the Mystical Monkey Power grew exponentially? Once you let go of the doubt that you were meant for the power, you could access it any time you wanted?'_

Ron let out a shudder; mostly from the fact that it was completely true, and the fact frightened him. "...What do I do...?" he asked, his voice sounding broken. "...I...I dont know what to DO anymore...!" He put his free hand to his face and bit his lip, trying to stop the tears. "...I cant just...get rid of the rest of my fears...! I cant...cant tear down my inhibitions overnight! I just CANT!"

_'...YOU cannot,_' the voice replied. _'But I CAN.'_

Ron looked up, staring into the dimness of the closet. "...YOU can...?" he asked softly. He had the distinct feeling that the voice was 'nodding'. "...How...?"

_'Ron, as you are right now, unless something close to the end of the world comes around, you wont pull your inhibitions down,'_ the voice replied. _'I AM you, and I can sense what you feel right now. You are tired. You're feeling broken inside; you're hurting. You were the savior of the world, the Ultimate Monkey Master, making all A's in college with aspirations of becoming a historical researcher; and with a couple of careless sentences from someone who claimed to love you, you were reduced to a common kicked DOG, who was left beaten and broken on the side of the road while your 'master' lives it up on vacation in California with her new beau. I can feel that any wall-breaking training we go through will break you in less than a week. You're too mentally and psychologically tired for it.'_

Ron nodded despite himself, closing his eyes. He WAS tired. He DID feel broken and beaten inside. "...What do you suggest, then?" he asked softly.

_'Let ME take over,'_ the voice replied. _'I am more than just a 'voice', Ron. I am YOU. YOUR other side. You can finally rest, sleep, if you will, inside your own mind. I will bring out your potential, work the kinks out of it, and show everyone who you truely are and what you can truely do.'_ Ron once more felt that caressing on the nape of his neck; he'd never told anyone, not even Kim, but it was his Achilles Heel and his 'comfort zone' at the same time. He relaxed into the 'touch'.

"...What do I have to do?" he asked.

_'Sleep,'_ the voice replied._ 'Now that I have your permission, all you have to do is sleep, and I'll take over the reins. You'll remain asleep, so you can rest and recover from everything. I'll take care of everything else, Ron.'_ Ron nodded and closed his eyes, leaning back against the closet wall again, feeling an unfamiliar but unthreatening blanket of darkness overcome him. It was comforting and warm and safe, and Ron couldnt ask for anything better.

Curling up on his side with his best friend cuddled up against him, Ron subconsciouly relinquished the reins of control as he finally drifted off. Feeling the heaviness of sleep come over his psyche, he felt a mental caress over his mind.

_'They will pay for crippling you, Ron,'_ it whispered._ 'They will pay for hurting you. They will see what we are capable of, but they wont live to see the end of it all.'_

* * *

**Ominous foreshadowing? Mayhaps.**


	5. Shattered

**I just want to take a moment to thank everyone for the reviews! Much love to you all! Keep reviewing, please and thank you!**

* * *

It was early the next day, and though she would deny it, Gloria Stoppable couldnt sleep at all last night. She was too concerned with Ron's well-being. As far as she knew, he hadnt eaten or slept in two days, and it killed her inside to know that he was suffering so badly. She too thought of Rufus as family, but she knew that her pain was nothing compared to her son's. Ron loved Rufus like a brother, and she wasnt sure if he was ever going to snap out of this tragedy.

Nevertheless, she had her duties as a mother to make sure Ron didnt kill himself over this, so to speak. She woke up early and made Ron some breakfast, then carried it up to his room and knocked on the door before entering. "Ronnie?" she called softly through the door. "It's your mom. I brought you something to eat." No response. Gloria sighed. "Ron, please...just tell me you're alright." Still no response. Feeling a tendril of fear up her spine and hoping to God that Ron was just asleep, Mrs. Stoppable opened the door and walked into Ron's room.

It was just as she had last seen it -Ron's unpacked bags, his unmade bed. Gloria put the tray of food down on his desk and looked around. "Ron...? Ron!" She noticed the closet door ajar and opened it. It was empty, save for a few boxes on the top shelf, but other than that, it was bare.

Ron was not in his room.

Gloria tore out of Ron's room and around the house, frantically calling his name to no avail. Ron was not anywhere in the house, either. All of her commotion brought her husband downstairs.

"Gloria, what's all the shouting about?" he asked, still half-asleep. His wife burst into tears and shook his shoulders.

"Robert, Ron's gone!" she shouted. Now fully awake, Mr. Stoppable ran outside to check to see if any of the vehicles were missing; maybe Ron had taken one. They were still there.

"Gloria, I'm calling the Possibles," he said urgently. "Go up and keep an eye on Hana, alright?" Gloria nodded and ran upstairs as her husband dialed the Possibles' number.

* * *

Mrs. Dr. Possible was always the first one up in the mornings, so it was natural that she was the one who took the call. She absently checked the time; it was barely seven-thirty. Nevertheless, she answered the phone. "Hello?" she asked.

"Anne, this is Rob," Mr. Stoppable's voice came from the other line, sounding hopeful yet panicked. "Please...please tell me you've seen Ron!"  
_

Any pleasantries Anne had in mind died immediately. "What do you mean?" she asked. She heard an exasperated and slightly panicked sigh from Robert.

"Anne, you know that Ronald came home for his summer break," he said. "But...two days ago...Rufus died in his sleep." Anne put a hand to her mouth; she knew that Rufus meant the world to Ron.

"Oh my goodness...!" she murmured.

"And today, Ronald's gone missing!" Mr. Stoppable finished. "Anne, for goodness sake, tell me you've seen him...heard from him...SOMETHING!"

"Oh, Robert, I havent!" Anne cried, feeling a small surge of panic in her chest. She loved Ron like he was another son to her. "What about his cell phone?"

"It's still in his room, along with the pieces of that Kimmunicator that's been crushed! Anne..." Mrs. Dr. Possible felt tears come to her eyes at the tone Robert had in his voice. "...Anne...where is my son...?"

Anne Possible's hand shook as she held the phone up to her ear, trying not to drop it from nerves. "I'll call Kim," she told him in her bravest voice. "We'll find him, Robert, I promise."

"Thank you so much, Anne," Rob replied, then hung up. Anne hung up her phone and took a moment to pray that Ron hadnt done anything drastic because of Rufus's death before fumbling around in her purse for the mini-Kimmunicator she kept on her for emergencies. _

* * *

In a dark temple on a mountaintop in Japan, a lone figure sat contemplating a scroll that was illuminated by the flickering candlelight. He couldnt help but feel a heavy weight of dread that burrowed deep down to his core as he read and reread the ancient script upon it. Three words kept jumping out at him:

**The Omega Reigns**

In other cultures, 'Omega' means 'the end'; or, in literal terms, 'death'. The-End-of-Life-As-We-Know-It.

Master Sensei had read this ancient script before, but never had he experienced the dread and fear he now felt looking upon those words. It could only mean one thing -the Prophesy was coming true. The End was approaching. The Balance of Life had shifted in evil's favor. Sensei closed his eyes to calm his spirit for a moment before opening them and reading further down the scroll.

He had read this part too, and though it gave him some form of comfort, he also knew what drastic measures had to be taken. He knew the pain and trial it would take to make it happen. The odds of this part of the Prophesy coming true were astronomical, to say the very least.

But he HAD to try. _

* * *

It was a beautiful afternoon in California. It was Summer Break Central, and everyone was having a great time. Kim Possible was a slight exception to that.

The 21-year-old young woman was on her hotel room balcony contemplating the sun and surf just in front of her, worry knitting her brow. Communication with Ron yesterday had been cut for some reason, and she hadnt been able to contact him again. Even Wade couldnt find the signal, and that ate a hole in her heart.

It had happened a year ago; she was in college, and she began meeting new people, even though her heart remained with Ron. But then she had met Ben Wayden.

Ben was not the type of guy who hit on all the girls to test the waters; in fact, until they had been paired up for a project together for chemistry, he hadnt even given her a passing glance. They had gotten to know each other, and after a few months, Kim picked up on the vibe that he wanted to be more than friends, even though he had never made a pass at her or even asked her out outside of a group outing.

Kim began feeling interested, despite her love for Ron. But after a lot of soul-searching, she realized that she loved Ron more as her best friend...and couldnt see herself in a truely intimate relationship with him. But she had meant it with all her heart when she told him that no one could EVER replace him. She loved Ron with all her heart...

...Just...not in the romantic sense.

Kim sighed and ran a hand through her shorter hair. She knew that she was falling in love with Ben when he pointed to a haircut that everyone said would look good on her, and she had cut her hair, even though Ron always said he liked her hair long. After the fact, she then knew that it was time to consider her options, and she chose to break up with Ron in favor of Ben.

She had only told Ben yesterday how she felt about him, after the call to Ron. Right after the fact, she had burst into tears. Ben just hugged her in a mostly platonic fashion and told her that he felt the same way, and that they should take it slow for now.

Kim checked her watch and saw that it was nearly time to go to the restaurant with her friends, and went over to the nightstand to pick up her purse. Just as she had it over her shoulder, her Kimmunicator beeped. She thought for a moment that it was Ron, but then she realized that it wasnt Ron's ringtone. It was her mother's. She fished it out of her purse and turned it on. "Hi, Mom!" she said cheerfully, before registering the sober expression on her mother's face. "...Mom, what's wrong?"

"Kimmie, I think you should come home right away," her mother replied, sounding very upset. Kim set her purse down.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Kim demanded. "Is everyone alright?" Mrs. Dr. Possible shook her head.

"Kim...Ron's gone missing."

Those words struck an icy chord inside of Kim's gut. "...What...?" she asked, feeling her legs to numb. "Wh...what happened? Any idea who took him?"

"...Kimmie, I dont think anyone took him," her mother replied. "...I think he ran away, and I am hoping to God he hasnt done anything...drastic..."

Kim put a hand over her mouth, feeling a little nauseated. 'Oh God!' she thought, her eyes tearing up. 'What if it's MY fault he might've...!' No. No, she COULDNT think like that. Ron was many things, but a quitter wasnt one of them, especially in the area of life. "I'll be right there, Mom," she finally said. She took out her suitcase and threw what she absolutely had to into it before rushing for the door and nearly running into Ben.

"Whoa, where's the fire, Kim?" he asked humorously, then his expression dropped when he saw her face. "...What happened?"

"Ben, I have to go home NOW!" Kim cried, sounding panicked. "Ron...Ron's gone missing, and I have to find him and make sure he's okay and I -!"

"Hey, calm down," Ben replied calmly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright. You go home, make sure Ron's going to be okay, and I'll come visit you soon, alright?" Kim took a deep shuddery breath and let it out before hugging Ben with her free arm.

"Thank you," she whispered, biting back tears. She gave him a quick chaste kiss on the cheek and ran to the elevator, pulling out her Kimmunicator en route to call on Wade. "Wade, I need a ride back to Middleton PRONTO."

Kim got the affirmative for her ride, and had to wait in the hotel lobby for about twenty minutes before a helicopter arrived in front of the hotel to pick her up. She exited the hotel, completely unaware of the figure sitting not fifty feet away from her in the cafe section. Ever since she had entered the lobby, he had been watching her from behind a pair of wrap-around shades, a bitter, sinister smile playing on his lips. After she left the hotel via helicopter, he tipped back the rest of his coffee leaned back in his chair.

"Will that be all for you, Sir?" the waitress girl asked, smiling at him. He smiled back, causing a shiver to run down her spine for some reason.

"...No..." he replied absently. "...I'll be wanting more." The waitress gave him a cautious smile and quickly moved away, not hearing him mutter under his breath.

"...So much more."

* * *

**Yeah, I just wanted to clear up that Kim DIDNT CHEAT ON RON. It's a good plot device, but too overplayed. I think that Kim has enough class to close one door before opening up another.**


	6. Pieces

**Once more, I love you all for your reviews! Keep 'em coming!**

* * *

It didnt take long to get home, but Kim could not have jumped out of that helicopter fast enough as soon as she saw her house. She thanked her ride and ran inside, right into her mother's arms. "Mom!" she cried, biting back the tears. Mrs. Dr. Possible hugged Kim back and led her into the living room, where the Stoppables were sitting and looking for all the world like Ron had died instead of disappeared. Kim walked up to them and hugged Mrs. Stoppable.

"I need to know everything that happened," she said, trying to get into 'job mode'. Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable looked at each other for a few moments before Mr. Stoppable spoke up.

"Ev...everything was going just fine..." he replied, staring blankly into space. "But then...two days ago..." Kim bit her lip, bracing herself for the sting. "...Two days ago, Rufus died. Ron...God, Ron was inconsolable..."

Kim gaped at him, shocked. "...Rufus died...?" she managed to stammer out. Mr. Stoppable nodded. Kim felt a sharp pain in her heart; she remembered that when Ron answered her call to him, he looked haggared and depressed, like he hadnt slept for days. God...Ron was going to tell her about Rufus, and she jumped right in with the break-up!

'Job mode' dissolved immediately into anguish, and Kim couldnt stop herself from burying her face in her hands and crying. She felt so STUPID! Ron was already depressed and in pain from Rufus dying, and she only made it worse! If anything had happened to Ron, it was HER FAULT!

Before anyone could ask if she was alright, Kim whipped out her Kimmunicator and dialed Wade.

"Hey, Ki...Kim, what's wrong, have you been crying...?"

"Forget that, Wade!" Kim snapped back. "Find Ron!"

"...Kim, we've talked about the ethical -!"

"WADE, RON'S GONE MISSING! HE COULD BE -!" She forced herself to calm down for the Stoppables' sakes. "...Wade, just FIND HIM!"

"Alright!" Wade replied, holding his hands up in surrender before putting them to work and typing out the coding for the locator chip. "...What the...?" He squinted at the screen. "...Kim...I cant find Ron."

"What?" Kim demanded, resisting the urge to shake the Kimmunicator. "What do you mean, you cant find Ron?"

"Just what I said, Kim! I cant find him! The chip's been disabled!"

Kim felt her legs to numb again, and had to sit down. "...You cant find him...?" she asked, feeling fresh tears come to her eyes. Wade gave her a sad look.

"I'm sorry, Kim," he replied. "...What's going on? Why would Ron suddenly disappear?"

Kim was silent for a moment before she stood back up. "Wade, I need a ride. I still dont think that Ron would just 'run away'. Give me a list of all the active villains and their locations. SOMEONE has to know where he is!"

"On it. But I want to know what's going on!" Wade signed off, and Kim dug into her suitcase for her mission outfit.

"I swear I'll find him!" she told the Stoppables before bolting to the downstairs bathroom to change.

She took a moment after changing to look at her reflection in the mirror. God, how much things have changed, she thought. Her, most of all. She had changed the most. She ran some cold water and splashed some on her face, then dried it and stood in silence for a moment until the Kimmunicator beeped. "Talk to me," she said.

"Your ride should be there any minute," Wade replied. And I'm printing out a list of all the active villains...there arent many, but it's SOMETHING." A thin slip of paper printed itself from the side of her Kimmunicator, and she looked at it.

"Prof. Dementor...DNAmy...Killigan..." She paused. "No Drakken?"

"They were pardoned by the UN, you know that," Wade replied.

"Shego?"

"Same. There's been no word on either of them for about two years now."

Kim made a thoughtful sound and tucked the list in her pocket. "Thanks, Wade," she said. She stepped out of the bathroom and into the living room. "I have a list of all the known active villains," she told them, keeping her voice even. "At very least, ONE of them should know something." She heard the roar of an engine outside. "That's my ride," she said, slinging her travel bag over her shoulder. "I'll find him." With that, she ran out the door, a hard resolve in mind.

_'Ron,'_ she thought to herself as she hopped into the truck, _'I'm so sorry. I promise, I'll fix this...just PLEASE be safe...!'_

* * *

It had taken nearly three days of world-travel and little sleep, but Kim was sorely disappointed and worried to find that NO ONE had heard from Ron.

Prof. Dementor? No.

DNAmy? Other than the creepy shrine to the still-stone-petrified Monkey Fist, she was clean, too.

Duff Killigan? He told her that he was actually retiring soon.

Senor Senior Sr. and Jr.? They were actually clean. Sr. was taking a hiatus, and Jr. was on his honeymoon with Bonnie.

No one had seen or heard from Ron at all.

Kim was tempted to go ask Drakken anyway, but Wade couldnt get a hit on him; he was THAT far under the radar. And if Drakken had anything to do with Ron's disappearance, then Wade would have at very least found SOMETHING about it. So it was with a heavy heart that Kim had to go home empty-handed. She called Wade up after her last visit with Camille Leon (keeping a low profile because of a zit that refused to go away).

"Nothing?" he guessed. Kim shook her head sullenly. "Kim...we'll find him."

"...That's just IT, Wade..." Kim replied, tears coming to her eyes again. "...What if we CANT? What if he's...oh, Wade, it's all my fault...!"

"Dont say that, Kim!" Wade cut in firmly. "You didnt know that Rufus had died, and you let him down as gently as you could. It's NOT your fault!" He paused, looking back at his computer screens. "...Do you want a mission to take your mind off things?"

Kim shook her head. "No," she replied. "I need to face Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable sooner than later. Thanks, though." Wade nodded and disconnected, still looking over his computer with a furrowed brow.

He would've thought Kim would want this one, but it was still too soon to be absolutely sure. He noticed almost countless reports that banks all across the country were being slowly, but very surely, drained of money. There were no transfer details, no break-ins, nothing. It was like the money was literally disappearing into thin air. The actual amount stolen from the banks was very minimal, but combine all of those minimal withdrawls from EVERY bank in America, and right now, the estimated amount was in the tens of millions. And the transfers only began two days ago!

And the worst part was, there was NO way to trace it.

Wade calculated that the media and the general public would get wind of this within the next three days, and then all Hell will break loose. And as it stood, Kim would have no leads to follow at this point. HE had no leads at the point.

The eighteen-year-old rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Something just wasnt adding up here. _

* * *

In the beautiful scenic mountain and forest areas in a providence of Canada, a small house sat carefully out of the way of prying eyes. It was unassuming, presumably a rich man's hideaway from the world: a mostly-glass one-story, simply furnished but obviously expensive.

One would have to open the door next to the fireplace to find a very out-of-place elevator behind it. Down that elevator were three levels of underground areas, all of them much bigger than the surface house itself. The first level was what looked like a large airship hanger-sized workroom with many devious-looking devices lay unfinished.

The second level looked like a mad scientist chem lab; there were THINGS in large tubes of culture fluid or formaldehyde. There were also small lab tables that had residue of what might have been a live creature, but said creature was absent.

The third level was by far the biggest; it was roughly the size of a football stadium, with rows and levels of empty stasis chambers. On the floor of the 'stadium', a lone figure sat with a small laptop balanced on his knee as he sat back in a small chair, sipping a Starbucks as he typed something with one hand. He grinned as several pictures with names and stats came up on the screen.

"Tricky tricky, little blue man," he muttered to himself. "Found you." He memorized the location and put his laptop down on the small table, then looked around the bare underground stadium. "...It's unavoidable," he said flippantly with a touch of humor. "I need some lackeys." He shifted his golden-brown gaze to the computer screen again. "...And I know just the one to start with..."

* * *

***sigh* I dont think I need to tell you who he's thinking of, ja?**


	7. Collateral

**For those of you who guessed Drakken, you get cookies! Yay for darker chapters!**

* * *

It was a beautiful day in northern California; the kind of day that makes someone WANT to go outside, even if it was just eight in the morning. Such was observed by the resident of a semi-reclusive house as he stared out the window at the rising sun. Today WOULD be a terrific day to go to the beach...unfortunately, he had work to do on his computer, so the beach would have to wait. He sat back down at his kitchen table and took a sip of his coffee.

Just a few moments later, he smiled when he felt arms slide around his neck and someone place a kiss on the top of his head. "Good morning, Drew," a seductive voice said softly, close to his ear. Drew rolled his eyes and grinned, reaching up to hold one of the woman's hands.

"Good morning, Sheena," he replied, kissing it. Said Sheena shifted around to stand next to him and looked in disdain at his computer.

"They're having you work on the TODAY?" she asked, looking like she would love nothing more than to shoot it into oblivion; in fact, her left hand glowed an ominous green in emphazation.

Drew noticed. "Yes, they are," he replied with a sigh. "Sit down, Sheen, and have some coffee before you blow something up." He gestured to a green mug of coffee in front of an adjacent seat. Sheena gave him a short glare. "...It's non-caffiene, I remembered..."

"You're a sweetheart," she replied a little dryly. Drew snorted, hiding his smirk behind his own coffee cup.

"I try," he replied, typing something down, then running a hand through his long hair. "...You know, I SAID I would go straight after the UN cleared us...but I honestly think that villainy had it's advantages..."

Sheena snorted into her coffee cup. "You're telling me," she replied dryly. "We set our own hours, got to take vacations that lasted as long as we wanted, and when one of my students back-talked me, I could zap 'em." She set her point by sending a tiny plasma shot at a leaf of a potted plant, incinerating it. Next to her, Drew winced.

"Would you PLEASE not demolish the house plants?" he asked, shifting around uncomfortably as though she had given HIM the shot, rather than the plant. Sheena gave him an apologetic look and took another sip of coffee. "And it was YOUR choice to go back into teaching, Miss Goh," he replied.

"Like I'm qualified for anything other than teaching or mercinary work," she replied. "...I'm kinda missing the mercinary work." Drew looked over the top of his laptop at her, arching a brow.

"Sheena..." he began.

She interrupted him. "No, Dr. D.," she replied, "you cant tell me you havent thought about it, too." She crossed her arms and looked him in the eye. Drew blushed an odd shade of violet and shifted his eyes away. Sheena grinned. "I knew it. You DO miss the villain work!"

"That part of my life is over," Drew mumbled, turning his attention purposely back to his laptop. "As it is yours. We've been over this, Sheena...our NAMES have been cleared...the monkiers of 'Dr. Drakken' and 'Shego' have NOT. We agreed that if we shed our aliases and took honest work, then we wouldnt be incarcerated for our...prior work..." He gave her a smile. "...It's worked for us so far, hasnt it?"

Sheena gave him a deadpan expression and held up her left hand, showing off a silver ring with a green gem. "What do YOU think?" she asked. "You think if it wasnt 'working for us', I'd have said 'yes'? You think if it wasnt 'working for us', I would be starting a family with you?"

Drew smiled and shifted his eyes to her midriff. "Touche, Sheena," he replied. "...Have you been to the doctor yet?" At that, Sheen'a eyes grew hard.

"You know that I dont trust doctors, Drew," she replied tersely. Drew sighed and closed his laptop.

"Sheena, I cant keep borrowing equipment from the hospital," he said seriously. He reached over to hold her hand. "I know that we had a bad experience three years ago when most of them refused to treat us...but it wont happen again!"

"You know KNOW that, Drew," Sheena shot back. "...For God's sake, it felt like your spine was broken, and they didnt even...!" She broke off, glaring at the wall. Drew got out of his chair and hugged her tightly.

"...Sheena, I was alright," he replied softly. "...It was just the vines on my spinal column...I controlled it, and one of the nurses did give me some painkillers..."

"After I THREATENED her!" Sheena nearly shouted. Drew shushed her and squeezed her shoulders.

"The important thing is I'm alright now, and the hospital nearby knows us, and WONT deny us help," he finally said. "And we sued them and won, didnt we?" Sheena scowled.

"...I still hate hospitals..." she muttered. Drew sighed and kissed her cheek before returning to his seat.

"Happy thoughts, Sheena," he said, smirking. "The baby can sense negativity...We dont want it to turn out like us, do we?"

"...What, green or blue?" Drew gave her a deadpan expression.

"EVIL," he expressed slowly and deliberately. "...And hopefully it's your shade of green...my blue stands out too much..." THAT put a smile on Sheena's face.

"...True," she said, poking at his blue arm. Drew swatted her hand away, but smiled.

"Besides," he continued, "we should at least wait until it's old enough to choose for itself, right?" Sheena sighed.

"You're right," she replied, putting a hand over her belly. "...You gonna make breakfast?"

"Of course," Drew replied, smiling. "What would you like?"

"I'm quite partial to eggs, toast, waffles...maybe some more of that coffee," came a completely foreign voice at the other end of the table. Both Sheen and Drew jumped and shot their gaze over to the end of the table, where someone was sitting with the chair leaned back and their legs propped up on the table. A mug of coffee was in their hand and they were sipping it casually. He noticed them looking. "...Hello, Drakken. Shego."

Sheena immediately shot up out of her chair and threw a plasma shot out him. He calmly raised a hand and a flash of blue dissappated the green plasma into nothing. Sheena charged up another, but Drew grabbed her wrist.

"Sheena, stop it! You're going to hurt it!" Drew reminded her, putting his other arm around her waist so his hand rested on her stomach. Sheena immediately powered down and glared at the intruder. Drew did the same. "How did you get in here?" he demanded. "And who are you?"

The stranger grinned. "How did I get in here?" he repeated. He shrugged. "I went to ninja school. As for who I am...I'm not surprised you dont remember me. You never could remember my name, Dr. D..." He sighed and shifted his eyes to Sheena. "...But YOU used to call me 'the buffoon'. Ring a bell?"

Sheena glared at him for a moment, but that seemed to be a moment too long for him. "...I'll give you a hint...three years, I stepped up -monkey style..." Sheena's green eyes widened.

"Ron Stoppable?" she demanded. Drew blinked and stared in bewilderment at the young man who only grinned and nodded.

"Very good, Shego," he said, clapping. "Nine points for observation...but you lose ONE point for the wrong personality, I'm afraid." He shifted his legs over so he was sitting upright and folded his hands over the top of the table. "But whatever. Call me 'Ron', if that's what makes you comfortable..."

"What are you doing here?" Drew demanded, shifting his body around so he was surruptitiously shielding Sheena. Ron shifted his gaze toward him, and Drew could see that instead of the chocolate-brown eyes he once remembered, this young man had more of a golden-brown color to his gaze...it was quite unnerving.

"I'm here to make a proposition to the two of you," 'Ron' replied, smiling at them in a way that chilled them to the bone. "I want the two of you to...help me with something. I want your employment, if you will."

Drew and Sheena exchanged a glance. "...What?" Drew asked, very confused. 'Ron' gave them both grins that did not bode well.

"You see...I'm on a bit of a mission from the get-go," he continued. "And I need people within areas of expertise..." He eyed them almost hungrily. "I.e., I need an engineering genius and an espionage and combat expert. That is why I came here." He gestured to the two of them. "Oh, and I'll pay you both VERY handsomely..."

"...How handsomely?" Sheena asked, mostly from habit. Drew gave her a 'look', and 'Ron''s smirk only broadened.

"Oh, with the greatest of all treasures," he replied, tenting his fingers. "You both get paid with your lives."

A wave of cold and dread ran over Drew and Sheena, and just by looking the young man in the eyes, they knew that he wasnt kidding at all. There was a coldness in his eyes that was almost inhuman; they were the eyes of one who would kill and think nothing of it.

The eyes of a monster.

Drew swallowed hard and looked at his fiance; he really didnt want to get back into the villain business this way, but he valued his life, and, more importantly, the lives of Sheena and their unborn child. He squeezed Sheena's wrist a little comfortingly and nodded to 'Ron'. "...Fine," he replied. "I'll do it. I'll do whatever you want...just...dont hurt Sheena..."

'Ron' nodded condescendingly and turned his gaze and grin to Sheena. "And what say you, Shego?" he asked. Sheena glared at him and put her free hand over her stomach.

"...I cant," she replied firmly. 'Ron' arched a brow. "I cant...fight, or go on espionage missions or anything like that...I'm pregnant."

'Ron' stared at her for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "This is just TOO hilarious!" he laughed, smacking a hand down on the table with enough force to upset his own coffee cup. "I always told Kimberly that the two of you would get together one day, and look what we have here!" He gestured to the two of them and continued to laugh for a few moments before calming himself down. "But seriously." His face went from amusement to stone-cold hardness in an instant. "You are the best at what you do, Shego, and if a baby's the only thing in your way..." He slowly stood up, his body glowing softly in a blue hue that Sheena recognized from three years ago. His eyes turned a blazing inferno of dark blue and he raised one hand. "Let's get rid of that cannon fodder, shall we?" Without waiting for a response, he pointed his hand sharply at Shego and what looked like a bolt of blue lightning shot right at her.

* * *

...The human brain is an extraordinary thing. Drew always knew this, and strived to understand it most of his adult life. It can subconsciously go from Point A to Point Z with no stops of consciousness at any of the other points in between. It can tap into parts of itself that humans cannot access on their own at a subconscious level.

After being pardoned from the UN and that nasty fiasco at the hospital, Drew had buried his newfound power over plants away. Their ability to respond to his most subconscious of demands was irritating, if not downright burdensome at BEST. So for three years, he had faught tooth-and-nail with those plants, and finally managed to keep them inside, instead of wandering about on their own. But every once and awhile, once or twice a year, at most, they would save him from a nasty fall, or pull him out of the way when something was about to hit him. They came at his most dire of needs, and always went from Point A to Point Z.

That was exactly what happened to Drew, all within a split-second.

As if watching it in slow-motion, Drew saw the bolt aimed right at Sheena's middle. His vines unconsciously whipped out of his skin and snatched her by the legs, tripping her down, as his semi-conscious mind forced his body in front of hers, the primal urge for a man to protect his woman and offspring overwhelming his very being.

Then all he knew was pain.

* * *

Sheena clenched her eyes shut as she awaited the impact, her nearly-inhuman reflexes no match against this threat, but then she suddenly felt something whip around her legs and the next thing she knew, she was on the floor. She opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was a small puddle of blood not two feet away from her. Standing right above that puddle was Drew, who had both arms around his middle.

'Ron' eyed the situation with almost disinterest before lowering his hand and turning off the Mystical Monkey Power glow. Drew was gasping for breath as blood seeped through his shirt and cascaded over his arms and onto the floor. Sheena was still in shock, staring at the blood on the floor.

"...Well, damn," 'Ron' muttered, scowling at the sight. "There goes my engineering expert..." Drew only gagged on his own blood in reply and fell to his knees on the floor. He shrugged and turned toward the door, walking out without another word, without any remorse for what he had done.

Sheena stared in shock at Drew for a moment before Drew finally pitched forward face-first to the floor. THAT snapped Sheena out of her stupor.

"DREW!" she screamed, bolting forward and turning him over to his back. Drew coughed up some more blood and winced in agony, his arms still tightly clenched around his waist. "Drew...goddamnit, Drew...!" She pulled his arms away with much difficulty, and felt nauseated at what she saw.

Drew's middle looked like it had been cut open with a butcher knife. It was bleeding profusely, and Sheena only hoped to any god who gave a damn at the moment that the organs were still intact. She brushed back the tears in her eyes and took Drew's head in her hands. "D...Drew, listen to me," she said softly, making sure she had his attention. "I...I have to do something to help this wound, okay? It's going to hurt, but...be strong for me, okay?" Drew only stared at her for a few moments before he gave her a pained nod.

Sheena took a deep breath and let it out before putting her hand over the wound and flaring up her green plasma fire to cauterize it. She let out a fresh sob when Drew shrieked in pain, but made sure the bleeding was at least minimal before forcing herself to get her bearings enough to get the first-aid kit from the bathroom. She took out the dressing and bound up Drew's middle as carefully as she could, using everything she had at her disposal. After the fact, she sat back and took just a moment to think.

No hospitals...she didnt trust them, especially not with Drew's life. But she HAD to get help! Who did she trust right now? THINK, SHEENA, THINK!

...Wait...wasnt Kim Possible's mother a surgeon of some kind?

With only that thought in mind, Sheena bend down to pick Drew up; yes, she knew that she wasnt supposed to do any heavy lifting, but not only was Drew not that heavy and she was stronger than the average woman, but this was a matter of life and death. Literally.

She took Drew into the garage and pressed a button on the wall, revealing a hovercraft that Drew had built some time ago. It was fast. Mach 2, he called it. She only hoped it was fast enough.

Sheena carefully put Drew in the passenger side and hopped in the driver's seat and started it up. If it's not a street vehicle, it doesnt have to be street-legal, she thought bitterly to herself. She closed the overhead hatch and then shot out of the garage as quickly as she could, heading toward Middleton and praying Drew would make it.

_'Please, Drew,' _she murmured softly. _'Please, hold on...!'_

* * *

_**Well, it can only get better from here, right? WRONG-O! **_


	8. Desperation

**Hope no one thinks I killed off Drakken...I love that guy too much!**

* * *

Kim was sure that she was getting on Wade's last nerve, what with her calling him every five minutes to see if he had heard anything, but she was desperate. She couldnt think of anything else she could do to find Ron, so she was holed up in her room, practically tearing herself apart with guilt and anxiety. It was when her mother finally threatened to sedate her that she finally took a sleeping pill and forced herself to calm down and try to get some sleep.

But sleeping pill or not, she woke up when she heard a loud engine roar just outside her house. She hopped out of bed and ran to the window, and even though it was dark outside, she could clearly see two figures get out of some sort of aircraft and limp toward her front door.

"Mom...Dad...!" Kim called to her parents as she ran downstairs just in time to hear frantic pounding at the door. Her parents' bedroom light came on as she opened the front door and saw two people she hadnt expected to see at all. "...Shego...? ...Drakken...?"

"HELP HIM!" Sheena shouted, struggling to keep an unconscious Drew upright. "FOR GOD'S SAKE, HELP HIM!"

"Kimmie, who is it?" Mrs. Dr. Possible asked, rushing to the door as she tied her robe belt tighter. "...Is...is that Drew Lipsky...?"

"YOU!" Sheena shouted, pointing at Anne. "YOU'RE A SURGEON! HELP HIM!" PLEASE!" Anne looked and saw that Drew did indeed have a very bloody torso, and the man was looking much paler than normal.

"Oh my goodness...! Kim, Kim, help me get him inside, quick! Shego, call the hospital...!"

"NO!" Sheena practically screamed. "NO HOSPITALS! THEY'LL ONLY KILL HIM...!"

"Shego, calm down! JAMES, GET DOWN HERE!" Anne helped Kim put Drew down on the couch, then turned to Shego, who was pulling at her long hair frantically. "Shego, listen to me...I need you to tell me what happened..."

"THAT FUCKING PSYCHOPATH CUT HIM OPEN!" Shego screamed. "HELP HIM!"

"Alright, I will!" Anne was a brain surgeon as a trade, but she'd been called on to perform bodily surgeries as well. "Kim, help Shego. James -!" She turned to her husband who had just ran downstairs. " -I need you to help me. It's Drew!"

"What on Earth...!" Mr. Dr. Possible said when he saw his bloodied college roomate. "...What happened...?"

"No time! Help me get Drew into your lab, then get my emergency tools from the bedroom! Kim!" She turned onto her daughter. "I need you to call up a favor from the hospital! I need blood for Drew!"

"What's his blood type?" Kim asked, whipping out her Kimmunicator.

"B, Rh-Negative," Sheena replied, looking like she was about to faint at any moment from shock. James and Anne both took Drew to James's lab, where he had a table large enough to perform surgery on, and Kim managed to stop her hands from shaking long enough to call up Wade for that favor.

Anne already had a lot of hospital equipment at home; having three accident-prone children (two of which played with dangerous and more often than not combustable items and substances, and one who routinely faught with homicidal maniacs) caused her to make sure she was prepared for ANYTHING. She had hospital heart monitors, transfusion machines, and even some spare blood packets. However, since Drew was a type B and everyone in the Possible household were type As, she needed new blood.

James ran out of the lab and came back with a very large equipment box. Anne quickly tied her hair back and made herself as work-ready as she could performing at-home surgery before washing her hands and taking out a new pair of sterilized gloves. James did the same so that he could help, trying to get his head in the game. It was most certainly not everyday that his college-roommate-turned-evil-villain-turned-productive-member-of-society lay dying on your lab table.

Mrs. Dr. Possible took out her sterilized tools and first cut away the bandaging, wincing softly (though not from disgust) at the crudely cauterized wound. She made a mental note to tell Shego that it had been what probably kept Drew alive right now and had prevented him from bleeding to death.

Quite frankly, Anne soon became surprised further along the line as she worked. Miraculously, as big and deep as the slice was, all of his organs were intact. Also, he seemed to be regaining some of his color on his own, and Anne had a distinct feeling that this wound of his was...bigger. This fact ate at her for a few minutes until she finally cut a piece of his wounded skin away and saved it for a later look-see into a microscope.

Just as she was finishing stitching him up, Kim ran into the lab with some of the donation blood, and James hooked them up to Drew, who was actually looking much better, considering.

It was around four in the morning by the time everything was finished. While waiting for the blood, Kim had made Sheena sit down on the couch and gave her something for the shock. Sheena was still covered in Drew's blood, so Kim gave her some of her own clothes, but Sheena still didnt make any move to relax until she was sure Drew was going to be alright. Kim couldnt even bring herself to talk to Sheena, but she did watch her.

She noticed that Sheena had cut her hair a little so that it was mid-back instead of waist-length. She had lost none of her beauty, though; however, with her haggared and shocked emotions, she looked much older than she actually was. But there was something else about Sheena that Kim just couldnt put her finger on...something big and noticable, but still very camouflagued...it took about two hours before Kim finally realized that Sheena was wearing a ring on her left ring finger.

So, obviously, she and Drew still lived together.

She was in a state of panic about his condition.

She was wearing a ring on her finger.

...The rest really didnt take a genius to figure out.

Still, Kim said nothing. She knew that Sheena was in no mood to talk, and only cared about how Drew was feeling. So she said nothing until her parents came out of her father's lab. Sheena shot up from her seat and ran over to them. "How is he?" she demanded.

"He's going to be alright," Mrs. Dr. Possible said. "All of his organs were intact, so much of what we did was stitch him back up and gave him blood..." She broke off at the look of disbelief on Sheena's face.

"...That's it...?" Sheena demanded, her eyes turning hard. "...N...no...no busted stomach, or intestines...? Damn it, I was THERE! I SAW what happened! I SAW how much blood there was! A simple split in the skin on your stomach doesnt bleed like that!"

"Shego, calm dow -!" Kim tried to intervene.

"NO!" Sheena shouted. "THERE'S A GALLON -A GALLON!- OF BLOOD ON OUR KITCHEN FLOOR! DREW WAS DYING!"

"Shego!" Anne took the green former villain's shoulders and shook her gently but firmly. "Shego. I'm just telling you what I saw. I'm...I'm as incredulous as you are," she admitted. "While I was working on him, he seemed to be getting his color back on his own..." She paused. "...Did you see how big the cut was?" Sheena nodded and held her hands about seven inches away from each other. Anne's eyes widened. "Are you SURE?" Sheena nodded, and Anne took Sheena's hands and put them three inches closer to each other. "THIS was how big it was when I began working."

Sheena let out a sob and suddenly collapsed in Mrs. Dr. Possible's arms with exhaustion and confusion. Anne caught her and led her to the couch to set her down. "Shego...he's going to be okay..." Sheena nodded, silent tears pouring down her face. "...But we need to know...what happened?"

Sheena's eyes suddenly turned hard and almost homicidal as she shifted them to Kim. "Ron FUCKING Stoppable, THAT'S what happened!"

Dead. Silence.

"...What do you mean, Shego?" Kim asked, her voice shaking. Sheena leaned back against the couch and put a hand over her stomach.

"...Something's wrong with that boy," she replied tersely, her voice haunted. "...He wanted us to...work for him..." She took a shaky breath. "...He wanted Drew's engineering genius, and my espionage and battle expertise." She brushed a tear away. "In return...he said that we would get our lives."

Anne's jaw dropped. "What?" she demanded. "That does NOT sound like Ron!"

"It WAS him!" Sheena snapped. "He told us so himself. He was glowing with that fucking Mystical Monkey crap, which I would know from ANYWHERE, so dont tell me it WASNT him!" She took a moment to get her bearings. "...Drew was going to accept his little draft, because he didnt want us hurt...but I couldnt do it..."

"Why not?" Kim asked. "...I would think that you would be more willing than Drakken to go back into the villain business, no offense," she added quickly, seeing Sheena's eyes flash.

"...I couldnt do it because I'm pregnant," she replied, more tears falling down her face. Her hand clenched tighter around her abdomen. "...That's...that's why Drew got hurt...!" She began sobbing again, and Anne pulled her into a gentle hug. "...That psycho was going to kill my baby so I could work for him! Drew saved me! THAT'S why he's hurt! He was SAVING US!"

As Sheena cried and Anne comforted her, Kim was staring at the green woman in disbelief. Ron...Ron Stoppable...drafting former villains back into villain work for himself...let alone attacking a pregnant woman and leaving a man to die bleeding on the floor?

"...That...Ron...Ron wouldnt do that..." she couldnt help herself from saying. Sheena glared at Kim.

"Well believe it!" she snarled back. "Because it's TRUE! He WOULD do it because he DID do it! HE DID IT AND HE DIDNT CARE!" She buried her face in her hands, and Kim couldnt bear to hear anymore. She ran up to her bedroom and collapsed in her bed, crying into her arms.

_'He wouldnt!'_ she kept screaming to herself in her mind. _'Ron wouldnt do that! He wouldnt do that!'_

...Would he?

* * *

Sometimes, Wade hated insomnia. Yeah, sure, you get more work done if you dont sleep, but he was sure that because of insomnia, that was why his growth was stunted. That, and the coffee.

Still, he had promised Kim that he would keep a 24-hour watch out for Ron, and that's what he was doing. He yawned and took another sip of his double-shot espresso, flickering his gaze from screen to screen. The banks were still being purged of money with no trace, and now he was hearing some word of government systems malfunctioning. Quite odd, but no coincidence, he was sure.

Wade sighed and flicked a key on his keyboard to flip to another screen, but the screen remained still. "...The hell...?" He pressed another key. Nothing. Everything was frozen. "Oh...no, no, no, no, no..." He began checking everything, but nothing was working for him.

All of a sudden, the screens went completely blank, then a few moments later, his big screen flashed on, and Wade found himself looking at,

"RON?"

'Ron' smirked at Wade and gave the younger male a small wave. "Hey, Wade, what's going on?" he asked, his 'friendly' voice laced with icy-cold malice that actually made Wade's skin crawl.

"Ron...is that really you?" he asked. Ron only grinned more broadly.

"...Technically...yes," he replied after a moment's thought. "But right now, 'Ron's' not home, you can leave all your messages with ME."

"...Ron, you're scaring me," Wade said slowly. "You go missing for DAYS, and now you show up HERE and start playing games? What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, it's not what's wrong with ME, Wade," 'Ron' replied, examining his fingertips, which were covered with black gloves. "It's what's wrong with everyone else associated with 'me', if you get my drift..."

"...You're not talking about Kim breaking up with you, are you?" he asked gently. 'Ron's' eyes literally flashed an inhuman golden color.

"That's ONE thing," he replied. "The other is that I wish to instill pain and fear into all those who ever opposed Ronald! Kimberly..." His grin suddenly turned sickening. "...I'm saving HER for last."

"...Who are you?" Wade demanded starting to get angry. "You're NOT Ron!"

"Of course I'm not. But then again...you SHOULD know who I am..." His eyes bored into Wade's through the screen, and Wade suddenly feared for his life, regardless if 'Ron' was there or not. "You hacked into Ronald's files of the past, Wade. You know everything about Ronald. EVERYTHING. His testing as a prodigy. The professional diagnosis of genius and dissociative identity disorder. Now take those two, add them together, and what do you get...?"

Wade's eyes widened. "...You're...Ron's other identity," he stated. It wasnt a question. 'Ron' grinned and clapped.

"Bravo, fellow genius," he said sarcastically. "You get a gold star and a free life card!"

"What?" Wade asked shortly.

"Just like I said. You get a free life card. You have thirty seconds to evacuate your house before it goes kaboom." He paused. "Oh...and tell Kimberly that 'Z' sends his LOVE." With that, the screen went black, and a countdown from 30 began.

His brain going on auto-pilot, Wade snatched up his most vital of disks and memory sticks, then pressed a button on the big screen and a small disk slipped out. He grabbed that one too and bolted out of his small house, running out into the driveway and just got past his mailbox when the entire house exploded. _

* * *

Amy Hall, (aka, DNAmy) skipped merrily as she made her way to a private room in her mountainside laboratory, carrying a lovely bouquet of red roses with her. Ahh, she didnt care at all if people called her crazy; stone or no stone, her precious Montykins would always be loved, no matter what!

It was now a routine tradition; every Friday, she would dust off whatever caught onto the stone figure of her one true love, then she would lay fresh flowers around him before giving him a kiss laced with the wish of his return to normal. Oh, she knew she was being a silly ninny, but she didnt care! Whatever made her Montysnukums happy!

She opened the door to the shrine room and froze.

...Monty was gone.

Just a few seconds later, an avalanche was reported being triggered by an ungody scream or horror.

* * *

Master Sensei dismissed all of his students from the room as he took in the petrified form of one Lord Montgomery Fiske, the only other bearer of the Mystical Monkey Power. He had debated with himself for a long time before coming to this decision, and could only hope for the best. He sighed and took out a ceremonial-looking knife and mentally calculated a precise perimeter around the stone form, then began carving out the very symbols he had seen in the Prophesy scroll into the hard stone ground.


	9. Choices

**I do so love those lovely reviews! They were so nice, so thank you, everyone!**

* * *

Like someone had flipped an 'ON' switch to his brain, Drew suddenly shot up in bed, his breath labored as though he had just run a marathon. He immediately regretted it as a sharp pain shot across his abdomen, and his head began to go fuzzy from the sudden movement. He hissed and raised one hand to his middle and the other to his head, feeling his body slump back...only to be stopped by something firm, but weightless.

Drew made a confused sound and turned his head to see a vine with a little forget-me-not on the tip slide into his view and nuzzle his face comfortingly. Drew rolled his eyes and groaned. The vines were back to live on their own again. Damn it. The little vine sensed his annoyance and wilted slightly, and for some reason, Drew felt guilty. "...Sorry," he muttered without thinking. The flower perked right back up to full bloom, and Drew swore he heard it make a happy 'sound'.

...That was WEIRD.

He turned his attention back to his abdomen, which was covered in gauze and wrapping, and stared at it with confusion. ...Why was he all bandaged up? And why did it sting? Following his inquiry, more vines appeared from his spine (he could feel them crawling, but it wasnt painful) and slipped under the gauze, then they suddenly developed thorns and cut away at the bandages.

Drew took it from there and pulled it off, staring at his stomach.

Stitches...but what was it closing? How long was he out? The skin wasnt even red; it looked like the stitches were about ready to be taken out. Once more, the vines followed his command, and with a surgeon's precision, snipped the stitches open and Drew carefully slid them out. All that remained were tiny little holes where the thread had been...but...

Drew's eyes widened when the tiny holes vanished right before his eyes.

"...What the...?" he murmured to himself, running his fingers over his stomach. A barely-noticable scar ran about four or five inches over his abdomen, but other than that, there was nothing. No more pain.

...And where was Sheena? He slipped the bed covers off of him and made a move to get out of the bed, but vertigo hit him and he stumbled...only to be caught by the vines keeping him upright by planting themselves on the floor and keeping him balanced. He shook his head to clear it, then looked around. This wasnt his house. Where was Sheena?

"...Sh...Sheena...?" he called tentatively. No answer. "Sheena...?"

No Sheena, but he DID hear whispering; it felt like it was coming from inside of his head, but from an outside source. He turned his head to try to find it, and followed the sound until he was standing in front of a fern. "...This isnt funny in the least," he muttered to himself, but couldnt deny that it WAS the fern that was 'whispering' to him, in a voice he recognized.

_"...nt believe it...!"_ ...Who WAS that...? It sounded familiar.

_"Believe it, Kim,"_ another voice replied. THAT one wasnt familiar, but it caught his attention. Kim? Kim POSSIBLE? What was SHE doing here?

_"NO, WADE!" _Okay, not so much of a whisper anymore. _"I WONT believe it! Ron wouldnt do that!" _...What was she talking about?

_"Kim, LOOK at the disk! It IS true! He DID do those things! Shego was telling the truth! Ron's gone, Kim..."_

...Sheena? What about Ron Stoppable? What truth? Drew racked his mind to try to figure out just what was going on, and as if on command, his memory came back.

Ron Stoppable appearing at their kitchen table.

Drafting them to work for him.

He agreed to work for Ron.

Sheena...she couldnt because she was pregnant...

...And then...

Drew's hand shot to his middle as he remembered; he had saved Sheena and their baby from being killed!

_RON. STOPPABLE. HAD. TRIED. TO. KILL. HIS. **FAMILY!**_

A violent surge of rage overcame him and he couldnt contain the shriek of fury from inside. On cue, his vines went haywire and began smashing things around, and the fern suddenly began to grow at a manic pace...

* * *

Downstairs, Kim was covering her ears and trying to block out what Wade was trying to tell her. "NO! IT'S A MISTAKE!" she shouted. Wade let out a frustrated cry and was about to retort when suddenly a scream of absolute RAGE resonated from upstairs, and then suddenly all of the houseplants -and there were a LOT of them- began to grow in a haywire pace, twisting and breaking free of their pots and taking over everything in the house.

"What the hell...?" Wade shouted, ducking when a spider plant leaf whipped at his head. "WHOA!" A pothos suddenly curled around his ankles and began winding around his body. "WHAT'S GOING ON!"

Kim was having some trouble with a pothos of her own, which was teaming up with a rhipsalis, which seemed to try to keep grabbing at her. Mr. and Mrs. Drs. Possible were having trouble on their own. The only one whom the plants didnt touch was Sheena, who's eyes suddenly went wide.

"DREW!" she shouted, racing across the room and towards the stairs, the plants parting from her path. She ran upstairs to the bedroom that Drew had been in, and found him standing in the middle of a fern-overrun room, a look of homicidal fury on his face. His eyes were full of rage, but completely empty, like he was letting something else take him over for a test-ride.

Sheena raced toward him and threw her arms around his neck. "DREW!" she cried, trying to get his attention. Drew didnt acknowledge her, and Sheena began crying. "DREW, SNAP OUT OF IT!" She pulled back and slapped him in the face.

THAT always seemed to do the trick, and this time was not a disappointment. Drew blinked once, and the fern suddenly stopped growing. Downstairs, the sound of plants shifting ceased, and the Possibles and that Wade boy stopped hollering about being killed by homicidal plants. Drew blinked again, and his own vines retracted into his body. "Drew?" Sheen asked, taking his face in her hands. Drew blinked a third time, and realization came back to his eyes. He looked at Sheena for a moment.

"...Sheena..." he murmured, then suddenly pulled her against him tightly. "Oh, God, Sheena...!" Sheena hugged him back.

"I'm okay, Drew," she said, trying to sound strong for him. "I'm okay, and so is the baby. We're both okay." She suddenly froze. "...Wait a minute, what am I TALKING about? YOU were the one who was cut open like a Thanksgiving turkey, what are...?" She broke off as she pulled back to look at his stomach. There was nothing there. NOTHING. Well, a light-colored scar, but other than that, NOTHING.

Sheena put her hand to his abdomen to check to see if it really was healed. "...Drew...how did you DO this...?" she asked, her eyes wide. Drew blinked and looked around now seeing the fern-infested room.

"...I...I dont...I dont know..." he replied. He suddenly put a hand to his head. "TELL WHOEVER'S CUTTING UP THE POTHOS TO STOP IT!"

"Drew, what are you talking ab -?" She was cut off when Drew rushed past her to the top of the stairwell.

"STOP CUTTING THE PLANTS!" he shouted. "THEY'RE COMPLAINING TOO LOUD, AND IT'S GETTING QUITE ANNOYING!"

Silence.

"...Honey, what exactly did you give Drew after the surgery?" he heard James Possible's voice ask his wife.

"Nothing more than a mild sedative!" Anne replied. "...James, he got out of the surgery less than twelve hours ago! With the sedative I put him on, he shouldnt even be AWAKE!"

Drew turned to his fiance. "...What are they talking about?" he asked, then looked around. "...Is...is this the Possibles' house? What are we doing here, Sheena?"

Sheena sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "...Drew...there's something going on...something BIG...I think you need to hear about it."

* * *

Two hours of shuffling around the plant life (but no cutting, stepping-on, maiming, or bruising, Drew warned) and a long story later, Drew was about ready to strangle someone with his vines.

"Heeeeeeey, get those things away from me!" Wade cried, leaning away from the vines that were creeping towards him. Wade was the closest to Drew next to Sheena, so it was natural the vines went to him at that tantilizing thought of hanging someone by the neck with his...

"Oh..." Drew looked at the vine. "...My apologies." He retracted it, and turned to Kim. "...So, you're telling me that Stoppable has gone, pardon the pun, ape crazy because of a hidden alter-ego buried deep within his mind that's calling himself 'Z', and he's Hell-bent on causing pain and destruction to anyone who ever wronged 'Ronald'?" Kim nodded. "...And you," he pointed to Wade, "think that he's responsible for a slow drainage of money from the US's banks, and he's bulking up material and drafting villains to work for him, all for something globally big?" Wade nodded. Drew's eye twitched. "You have to be KIDDING ME!"

A bushel of pothos suddenly sprung to life and curled around the chair Drew was sitting on, wrapping around his arms and shoulders almost comfortingly, but snapping out at anyone other than Sheena that was in his general vicinity.

"Drakken, control those plants!" Wade shouted, scooting back to avoid getting a painful whip across the face. Drew's head suddenly snapped up, and the pothos became docile, then retreated.

"...What did you say?" he asked, turning to the seventeen-year-old. Wade gave him a confused look.

"...What? I just...the plants...they're responding to your emotions, obviously, I just asked you to..." He broke off, gaping at the former villain in something between awe and anxiety.

"...Control them..." Drew held out his hand toward a peace lily that had overgrown but was now docile, and gave a mental command. _'Grow.'_ Everyone's eyes widened when a new stalk appeared and an unbloomed flower grew out of the stem, then with a bit more concentration and coaxing from Drew, it bloomed into a beautiful white peace lily.

"...Whoa," Wade commented. Sheena gaped at her fiance.

"...Drew..." she murmured. "...I didnt...I thought you could just control your vines...! I had no idea you could...!"

"...Niether did I, Sheena," Drew replied, lowering his hand and staring unblinkingly at the peace lily he had willed into existance. He looked down at his hands, which were shaking. He could control and create plant life. He could...he could...!

He fainted, his vines keeping him from pitching face-first into the floor.

* * *

The symbol-carvings had been hard enough to create in a perfect circle perimeter around the statue of Monkey Fist, but the ancient spell needed to activate them...was a completely different matter. Master Sensei made sure that the full moon was in perfect alignment to his circle, and began chanting the spell that would activate the seals.

After just a few moments into the chant, the symbols began glowing a soft blue color. As they glowed brighter, the stone began to also glow; dimly at first, but then it brightened as the symbols brightened. Finally, Sensei finished 'part one' of the spell, and from the waist-up, Montgomery Fiske was free from the stone.

Monkey Fist slumped forward limply, groaning softly from fatigue and confusion, then winced and pulled his body upright, putting a hand to his head. ...Where was he? Why did he hurt all over? And why couldnt he move his... He looked down and saw that everything below the waist was stone, and stared for a moment before letting out a primate-like shriek of shock and confusion. "WHAT IN THE BLOODY RECESSES OF HELL...!" he cried, attempting in vain to move his legs. "Calm yourself Fiske-san," came a voice in front of him. "It is only temporary...if you wish it to be."

Monkey Fist jerked his head up and saw Master Sensei standing in front of him, his hands folded in front of him. He suddenly remembered everything leading up to his entombment and felt a surge of anger run through him; he growled with disdain, but before he could say anything, Sensei held up his hand for silence.

"I have released you from the Path of Yono for a very important reason, Fiske-san. Whether or not you go back to that Path is completely up to you. I beseech you to hear what I have to say before making up your mind."

The idea of going back to stone was not a very tempting one, so Monkey Fist kept his mouth shut. For now. He nodded for Sensei to continue.

"Fiske-san...the world is very close to falling out of balance and into darkness," Sensei continued. "I cannot even describe exactly HOW close, but rest perfectly assured that it is not the 'darkness' promised by so many of tainted hearts, within your circle of associates." Monkey Fist scowled, but continued to say nothing. "This darkness is apocalyptic." He gave Monkey Fist a hard stare. "...Do the words **'The Omega Reigns'** mean anything to you?"

Monkey Fist felt an involuntary shudder shoot down his spine. Oh yes, those words meant something to him. He knew exactly what context those three words Sensei was speaking of, and it was something even he would not wish upon the Earth.

"...That Prophesy is well upon us, Fiske-san. I know not any specific date...but it is to happen within the year."

Monkey Fist's eyes widened; that was NOT expected at all. "What has any of this to do with ME?" he demanded. Sensei was silent for a few moments.

"...There is...a second half of this Prophesy," he finally said. "And it involves YOU."

"ME?" Monkey Fist demanded. "...What are you TALKING about?"

"It is why I am giving you the choice, Fiske-san," Sensei replied. "You can become completely free of Yono and train to defeat The Omega One...or you can hold onto your delusions and your hate, and continue down the Path of Yono as you were." He absently looked up at the moon. "...I would highly suggest you choose quickly."

Monkey Fist was in a stupor; what on Earth was going on, he wondered to himself. Yes, granted, there was the apocalypse, and he was supposedly involved in stopping it...but why? How? Well...what he DID know was, he did NOT want to be encased in stone for the rest of eternity...however long that eternity would be, what with The Omega One reigning down darkness on the Earth...

...Well. That left but one choice, really.

"...I want freedom," he finally said. Sensei nodded, then gave him a pointed look. "...I want...to save the world...from The Omega One," he finished, somewhat half-heartedly. Sensei stared at him for a moment more before nodding, gesturing to the symbol on the ground right in front of Monkey Fist, and shouting out _'FREEDOM'_ in Japanese.

Immediately, the stone vanished into flesh, blood, bone, and the rest of Monkey Fist's black gi, and he couldnt help the sudden weight of his body as he fell to his knees painfully. GODS, it felt like he hadnt used them in...

"...How long...?" was the first thing he asked Sensei. The elder Master walked over to Monkey Fist and knelt next to him.

"Three years," he replied, helping Monkey Fist to his feet. "And yet, you have very little time to train yourself to face The Omega One...it will not be easy..."

"I'd imagine not," Monkey Fist retorted, wincing with every step as Sensei aided him out of the odd temple. "I'm going to be facing a monstrosity with god-like powers of total destruction that even Yono would have no chance against...I didnt think it WOULD be easy..."

"It will be much harder than you think, Fiske-san," Sensei replied. "You will not be ready until you gain mastery over your Mystical Monkey Power." At Monkey Fist's bewildered expression, he elaborated. "Like Stoppable-san..." He broke off as though it pained him to say it, something Monkey Fist did not miss. "...You have so much untapped potential within yourself. You have it within you to be a Monkey Master."

Monky Fist smirked despite himself. "I always knew," he replied softly, grimacing at the steps he had to take to get up into the next building. "I always knew it was my destiny..."

"You delude yourself once more," Sensei said firmly. "And delusions keep you from seeing the truth. Focus on the truth, Fiske-san, or you will lose sight of it completely, as you did once before." Monkey Fist clenched his teeth to keep from replying to that, and let Sensei lead him to a vacant room that was already set up for him. He helped Monkey Fist ease down to the floor and stepped back. Monkey Fist stared at the floor for a moment.

"...Then what IS the truth?" he asked, his fingers clenching into his gi. "What is MY truth?"

Sensei contemplated him for a moment. "...That is something you have to seek within yourself," he replied. "But be forewarned, Fiske-san...if you are not ready when the time comes...then I fear that we have nothing left to hope for."

"...How will I KNOW I am ready?" Monkey Fist demanded.

"When the Lotus Blade recognizes you as its master, you will be ready," Sensei replied. "Trust me when I say that when it accepts you, you WILL know. THEN you will be ready." Upon hearing Monkey Fist's silence, he turned to leave.

"...What about the impos...what about Stoppable?" Monkey Fist suddenly demanded. Sensei didnt turn around, but Monkey Fist could see the elder Master's shoulders tense. "If he is supposed to be the Ultimate Monkey Master," he spat the words out condescendingly, "then why isnt HE the one being drafted for this?"

Sensei was silent for the longest time before answering. "...Stoppable-san IS the Ultimate Monkey Master," he finally replied. "He has gained full mastery of his powers, and can access them as he wishes..." He paused, but Monkey Fist could sense a post-script coming. "...And he is...The Omega One."

Monkey Fist's eyes widened in disbelief, but he found himself unable to say anything. Sensei slid the door closed behind him, and left the only other holder of Mystical Monkey Power to contemplate his role in the future, and how he would achieve it.


	10. Training

***insert witty banter here***

* * *

It had been nearly a month after he had discovered he could control and create plant life other than his own vines, and Drew was still no closer to understanding it than when he'd first discovered it. Still, it was something to occupy his time with, he thought to himself.

He was currently sitting outside, leaning against a tree next to the Possible household. He and Sheena were living here for the interim; it was deemed safer to be with the Possibles, rather than alone in their house in California, which Drew honestly doubted was still standing. Not that he really minded; Sheena and the baby were safe, and that was all that mattered.

Drew sighed and leaned back further against the tree, closing his eyes as he listened to the summer breeze though the leaves, and the soft voice that he heard in his mind. Ah, yes...another ability he found to possess -he could 'hear' plants 'talk'. They 'spoke' to him, and he could even use them as 'spies' in a sense; it had finally made sense to him why he could hear the talking downstairs from his room upstairs through that fern. The plants provided communication for him. A connection, if you will.

Wade's comments about him 'controlling' plants had sparked an interest inside of him, and being the naturally inquisitive person he was, Drew had begun experimenting with his powers, just to see what he could really do with them. The results...well, they had been shocking, to say the very least.

Going back to the point of his healing, Mrs. Dr. Possible had taken the skin sample and looked at it under a microscope, and found that his skin contained microbiotic plant fibers that spun themselves back together at a rapid pace. To prove that point, she cut into his hand with a scalpel, and everyone watched with morbid fascination as his skin stitched itself back together in front of their eyes in under five minutes. So if his organs HAD been damaged by that shot of power that 'Z' had thrown at him, the plant fibers had already healed it by the time he arrived at the Possibles'.

As far as controlling plants went, Wade also made another point to Drew -everything responded better to him based on his emotions. In a fit of uncontrollable rage, the plants responded by growing uncontrollably, and even attacking people. Once his rage was under control, the plants became controllable, too.

Creating plant life was a little trickier; Drew had to WILL the life into existance, which took quite a bit of willpower to bring to life just one flower, and even then, he had to have a base to work from. Starting with a random patch of clean earth and trying to grow some common shamrocks nearly caused him to pass out from the exertion. But it still proved that he COULD do it.

Sheena figured that that was about as far as his plant powers went, but Drew had a feeling deep down that it WASNT all he could do. It felt like he had just taken a few sips of water out of an entire lake, and there was still so much more left. So, without anyone else's knowledge, Drew began to experiment more. Most of it was fruitless, pardon the pun, and for nearly a month, he came up with very few results. However, there was one VERY large recent acquiration that Drew would peg off as a success in endevours.

It happened very recently, just a week ago; it was evening and Drew was sitting under a tree, contemplating his powers and trying to figure out what exactly else he could do with them, and had mentally snorted at that old saying from nearly every comic book he had read, about some wise old mage telling the hero to 'become one' with their powers to embrace them. Well, that was all fine and dandy, but 'becoming one'? The hell did that even MEAN? He was too busy contemplating the meaning of 'becoming one' with his powers that he didnt realize that he was MELDING into the tree he was leaning against until the evening sky vanished from his view.

Naturally, he panicked and began wildly thrashing about inside of the tree -and making it grow thicker, taller, with more abundant foliage in the process- until he finally managed to stumble out of it on the other side from where he had been sitting.

After catching his breath and making sure he wouldnt be suffering from a heart attack anytime soon, Drew hesitantly put his hand on the tree, 'hearing' its apolgies to him for the scare, and mentally focused on 'becoming one' with it. Immediately, his hand began to meld in with the tree and he managed to get it up to his elbow before he thought that it was enough, and retracted his hand.

...So he can 'become one' with plants, too? Lord forgive him for the adolescent statement, but AWESOME.

That was a week ago, and he'd gotten better at it, to the point where he didnt do it at random and freak out when it did happen. Now, he was content to sit back and let the plants 'talk' to him; he had long discovered how to 'turn them off' if need be, but they were quite docile at evening time...

"Drew?"

Drew looked up to see James Possible stading a small distance away. They werent best friends by a long shot, but they were on friendly terms with each other, all things considered. "Anne said it's dinnertime."

"Thank you, James," Drew replied, standing up and brushing himself off. He followed Mr. Dr. Possible to the house for dinner, but right before they went in, James put a hand on Drew's shoulder.

"...Drew, is there something bothering you?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. Drew gave his old college roomate a quick glare.

"You mean besides the fact that I'm living in fear of my fiance and unborn child being harmed every waking moment?" he replied. James blinked, then nodded.

"...Yes, actually...besides that," he said. "Something's been on your mind lately..." He broke off when Drew raised a hand for silence.

"I dont wish to discuss it with you, James," he replied tersely. He sighed. "Listen. I'm grateful that you've allowed Sheena and I to stay here for safety, and I thank you for it...but there's something bigger that's going on...something personal, that I dont want to let anyone else in on, least of all Sheena. The last thing she needs is stress knowing I've..." He cut himself off, biting at his lower lip. "...It's just not up for discussion."

Mr. Dr. Possible was quiet for a moment. "Alright, Drew," he said, opening the front door. "Just...nothing too dangerous, alright? I dont want you hurting yourself." Drew paused.

"...What do you know?" he asked suspicously. James only gave him a half-grin.

"Nothing you dont want me to repeat," he replied cryptically, then led them both in to dinner.

* * *

It was now eleven-fourty-two at night. Drew was still awake, sitting up in bed and staring into nothing as he gave his current situation some very deep thought.

It was Ron 'Who-Now-Calls-Himself-'Z'' Stoppable that was behind all of this, and even though 'Z' had made it clear that Kim was the prime candidate for the massive amounts of hurt he was about to unleash on the Earth, he had attacked Drew's fiance and threatened the life of their unborn child. THAT made this situation very personal.

Drew had a very distinct feeling that he was going to have a hand in saving the world. Again. But this time, he actually WANTED to. He and Sheena had tried so hard to stay on the 'good' side of the law for the past two-and-a-half years, and had honest livings. And now, they were trying to get married and start a family, something Drew had once lost all hope of having with anyone.

And it was almost taken away from him in the blink of an eye.

He ran a shaking hand through his hair as he thought about what might have happened if his vines hadnt jumped in when they did. Sheena would have been gravely injured. Their baby would have been dead. Drew felt his vines writhe beneath his skin in response to his fury at the very thought, and forced himself to calm down. He sighed and looked to his left, where Sheena was sleeping peacefully.

...God, he loved her so much. He didnt know what he would do if anything happened to her. He reached over and gently smoothed out her hair, then went back to staring at the wall.

His father had always told him that a husband's number-one job was to protect his family, no matter what. Sure, those words meant basically nothing to a ten-year-old, but looking in on it now, they couldnt be more true. All Drew wanted to do now was protect Sheena, especially since she couldnt fight in her condition. If 'Z' ever tried to attack them again, he wanted to fight back. He NEEDED to fight back. For Sheena. For their child.

...Even for himself.

He HAD power...he just didnt really know HOW to use it in a combat-productive manner...

...Wait a minute.

He was having another one of those 'epiphany' moments; they were rare and didnt come often, so Drew had learned to follow them as they came.

Keeping that epiphany in mind, Drew finally laid down and pulled the covers up. He had a lot of thinking to do while he slept.

* * *

Kim woke up around five-fifteen, and couldnt get herself back to sleep. There was just too much on her mind, too much to worry about. She laid in bed for about fifteen more minutes before sighing and getting dressed to head downstairs; if she was going to be up this early, then she needed coffee.

She went downstairs, only to have the smell of coffee already hovering in the air from the kitchen, and peeked inside to see Drew already up and sipping his own cup. He looked up when she walked in, and they shared an awkward moment of silence. Even though Drew had been there a month, they hadnt been in the same room alone in that whole time.

It was Drew who broke the silence. "I made coffee, if you want some," he said, shifting his eyes back to the window. Kim made a noncommital sound and poured herself a cup, taking it black. She eyed the kitchen table for a moment before sighing and sitting down across from her former arch nemesis.

More awkward silence.

"...I have a favor to ask of you," Drew finally said, getting Kim's attention. She blinked and looked up from her coffee to see Drew looking at her almost nervously, but with a solid resolution in his eyes. She slowly nodded.

"...Go on," she said. Drew seemed to fight with his words in his own mind for a moment, trying to word it just right in his head.

"...I need you to help me...use my powers," he began slowly. Kim arched a brow.

"I'm not the one with the plant powers, Drakken," she replied. "I wouldnt even know where to start..."

"No, no, not...not like that..." Drew took a long contemplative sip of his coffee before speaking again. "I'm working on my powers on my own...figuring out just what they can do...but...that's NOT what I need help with."

"Then what DO you need my help with?" Kim asked, honestly intrigued. Drew's cheeks turned an interesting shade of violet as he found his nearly-empty coffee cup fascinating.

"...I need help...using my powers...the way Sheena uses hers," he finally said. He paused to see if Kim caught on. No dice. He sighed. "...For fighting."

The awkwardness was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

"...You want ME..." Kim finally spoke up after several LONG moments of silence, "...to teach YOU how to FIGHT...?"

The violet darkened slighly in color. "...Yes," he replied. "I want you to teach me how to fight."

More silence.

"...Why?" Kim finally asked. Drew sighed and turned his attention fully to her.

"I know that YOU are the hero, what with your 'save the world' thing," he replied, "but what 'Z' has done is personal to me. He attacked my fiance, nearly killed my unborn child, and damn near killed ME." His hand clenched around the coffee mug, and Kim absently noticed a small crack appear in it. "I've thought about this, and I know the risks of engaging in actual combat with him, but I WANT to. I want to FIGHT for my family. I want to help you."

Kim quietly contemplated his words for a few moments, weighing the pros and cons of actually going through with it. Drew stared at her with anticipation in his eyes for the longest time before she finally sighed.

"I've never 'taught' anyone to fight before," she began slowly, her voice devoid of acceptance or rejection; she kept it neutral. "The most I'll probably be able to teach you are the basics...the rest of it...I dont know..." She ran a hand through her red hair and took a final swig of her coffee.

"I can give you 100% dedication," Drew replied, his voice firm with absolution. "And quite frankly, the basics are all I think I'll need. If I can take those basics and incorperate my own powers into them...I think I'll be able to fight and fend for myself."

They shared a look between them that nonverbally sealed the deal.

"When can you start?" Kim finally asked.

"After my second cup of coffee."

* * *

Six months.

Six long...difficult...BLOODY AGONIZING months.

THAT was how long Monkey Fist trained himself in the true Mystical Monkey arts. And THAT was how long Monkey Fist went with minimal results after maximum effort. The training itself was not so much as physical, as it was spiritual; yes, he spent about a month getting back into shape, but after that, Sensei told him that most of the mastery of the Mystical Monkey Power was spiritual.

Suffice to say, 90% of Monkey Fists's waking moments were spent in meditation. And in the five months to follow, he managed to tap into a bit of his own Mystical Monkey Power, which appeared in the color gold, the color of his own chi, as apposed to Ron Stoppable's blue. But he found that he could do very little with it.

Sensei told him that there was still so much untapped within him, and that information kept eating away at him on the inside to the point of frustration. If he was capable of so much -if he was meant for so much more greatness- then why wasnt it working for him? What was wrong? What was missing?

Such was what he was contemplating in the late evening, as he was training by himself to access more of his MMP in the form of usable energy. He had looked over some scrolls that had script that could only appear in the presence of MMP, and he found that a Monkey Master had the ability to mould and focus their chi into usable 'weaponry', ranging from the force of a strong gust of wind to an explosion of a bomb, to the sharpness of a razor; it all depended on the intent.

But no matter how much Monkey Fist 'intended' with his power, nothing seemed to work. He could barely release his energy with a force stronger than a gentle wind gust, he couldnt focus his chi into anything other than a glow, and a razor-swipe of the chi couldnt cut through butter.

And worst of blasted all, the Lotus Blade had refused to work for him.

He had been able to change the form of the Blade before, but now, it felt like cold, empty steel in his hands. Nothing special. So suffice to say, he was 'not ready'.

Monkey Fist was so close to accessing that MMP, he could literally taste it, but it wasnt coming. He stood in the middle of an empty room, his hands held out in front of him, palms facing each other, as he tried to force the MMP out into something other than a soft glow. He was so close...SO CLOSE...but it wouldnt budge. He'd been trying for hours now, keeping in firm, unbreakable concentration, to push past that wall that kept him from his well of power, but nothing. NOTHING would make it go away.

And he was becoming very quickly agitated. He was becoming angry. Bitter, hateful thoughts began plagueing his mind; thoughts of being cheated out of his destiny; thoughts of letting the true power slip through his fingers. And even worse, thoughts of failure, inadequacy, and worthlessness.

Those last thoughts finally made him lose his concentration, and he felt the connection to the MMP break. He stood in the middle of the room in dead silence for a moment before letting out an inhuman shriek of rage and falling to his knees to punch the stone ground, creating a small crater where his fist hit it.

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" he screamed into the empty room. "IT'S NOT FAIR, IT'S NOT FAIR, IT'S NOT BLOODY FAIR!" He punched the ground again, and again, not caring if his knuckles were breaking, not caring who heard. He finally slammed his fist into the ground one more time before hearing a loud crack as several bones in his hand snapped, and bit back a cry of pain. He sat in the quiet for a few moments before lifting his other hand to his face, and feeling wetness coat his fingers.

Tears. He was crying. CRYING. And once that fact became known, he couldnt stop. More tears poured unwittingly from his eyes, and the sobs soon followed. And the worst part was, Monkey Fist didnt even know what exactly he was crying about.

Alone, he sat sobbing in the room, until he felt someone put a cloak around his shoulders. His head snapped up to see Sensei looking mournfully down at him, his eyes full of worry at his suffering. Monkey Fist quickly wiped the tears from his eyes, but to no avail. They had been seen, and they refused to stop coming.

"I know you believe that your destiny is unfair, Fiske-san," Sensei spoke, getting Monkey Fist's attention, "but what is truely unfair is the gift you are denying yourself, because you think it is unfair."

Monkey Fist scowled to himself and pulled the cloak tighter around him; it was getting colder here, and being in the mountains didnt help. "...All my life," he said, his voice sounding as dead as his soul felt, "...I've felt that I deserved to be the Ultimate Monkey Master. I trained for it. I sacrificed for it. I've done everything imaginable to attain it...only to have it snatched away from me by a CHILD." He let out a mirthless bark of laughter. "...A child who was scared to death of the creatures he was supposed to be patroning...a child who had no respect for the power he'd been gifted with..." He scowled, his uninjured fist clenching. "A child who is now using that power as a fuel for the upcoming apocalypse." He shifted his dark blue eyes to Sensei. "Tell me how THAT is FAIR!"

Sensei stared back at Monkey Fist for a few more moments before sighing and shifting his gaze upward, where stars were visible in the cold sky. "Just because you do not have the title of 'Ultimate Monkey Master' does not make your destiny any less important," he finally said. "You are still destined to be A Monkey Master, a position that is still very revered and respected among those who study Tai Shing Pek Kwar, and the ways of the Monkey." He paused for a moment. "You are familiar with the four jade monkey statues, yes?"

Monkey Fist frowned, but nodded; of course he was. It was how he attained the MMP in the first place.

"Back when Mystical Monkey Power was used more frequently a thousand or two years ago, out of all those who bore the power, there was one who stood above all others. The Ultimate Monkey Master. He or she had the most access to the power, not because of some fluke, but because they were Chosen Ones from birth." He paused once more, as though contemplating whether or not to tell what he had to say to Monkey Fist. "I believe, Fiske-san, that when you set out to attain Ultimate Monkey Mastery, you were not entirely informed of exactly what you were seeking."

Monkey Fist resisted the urge to retort; very true, he didnt know EVERYTHING about MMP, but he knew that when he attained Ultimate Mastery, it would come to him.

"Fiske-san...this is something that Stoppable-sama did not know, and still does not know, though I fear he is slowly but surely becoming aware of..." He sighed. "...The Ultimate Monkey Master, Fiske-san...is on the same level as a god, when in comparison to mere humans."

Monkey Fist's eyes widened. "A...a GOD?" he stammered, suddenly feeling very ill. Sensei nodded.

"The Omega One is, indeed, one of godlike proportions," he said somberly. "For only a god among humans can achieve that which The Omega One seeks to attain...total annihilation." He looked back down at Monkey Fist. "But all others with the Mystical Monkey Power...those who trained and accepted their destinies...became Monkey Masters themselves. They became the seconds-in-command to the Ultimate Monkey Master; they supported, protected, and faught for the Ultimate Monkey Master..."

"...And as a Monkey Master, I am being made to fight AGAINST the Ultimate Monkey Master?" Monkey Fist growled in disdain. "It makes no sense."

"...It makes sense, when you read accounts of rogue Ultimate Monkey Masters," Sensei replied solemnly. "The jade statues were hidden because the last Ultimate Monkey Master before Stoppable-sama became rogue, and wished death upon rival nations. She decided to annihilate all of her foes...and the women and children as well." He shook his head sadly. "...But that is where the other Monkey Masters stepped in. They are meant to protect the Ultimate Monkey Masters...even against themselves.

"Fiske-san, the Mystical Monkey Power knows when it is being misused, and although it cannot resist the call to its Ultimate Master, it CAN aid the other Masters who wish to use it for good in defeating the Ultimate Master." He paused again, seeing the spark of realization come to Monkey Fist's eyes. "Do you see now, Fiske-san? Your destiny is not Ultimate Mastery, but it IS Mastery nonetheless. You have the opportunity to be given the power to bring down the Ultimate Master for the sake of good and bring balance back to the Earth. THAT is your destiny, and it is NOT a small, meaningless one, either."

Monkey Fist reflected on everything that Sensei had just told him; it was overwhelming, to say the very least. His true destiny was to defeat a god and save the world from the apocalypse. Sensei was correct -that was NOT a small destiny, nor a meaningless one. It was a destiny that even...overshadowed what he THOUGHT his 'true destiny' was...

...His true destiny.

He felt a warm sensation in his core and absently put his injured hand over it. Yes, he thought. His true destiny. He WAS meant for greatness! He WAS meant for power! He was meant to SAVE the world, not destroy it or rule it. THAT was his destiny!

A sudden flaring of his inner core erupted at that very last thought, and Monkey Fist was engulfed in a golden light. He could feel the wall around his well of power break, and...the power. The POWER he felt! Good gods above, it was...indescribable! If THIS was what his destiny felt like, then he welcomed it with arms wide open with the vow to fulfill it to the fullest extent of his ability!

The light faded gently as Monkey Fist brought himself back to the present, and he suddenly felt energized, well, and unbroken. He looked at the hand he had broke, and flexed it, finding that it was healed completely. Astonishing...

"Fiske-san."

He turned to see Sensei holding a familiar case out to him. The Lotus Blade. Monkey Fist flexed his hands for a moment before holding one up and summoning the Blade to it. Without a moment's hesitation, the Blade flew to his hand, where it emitted a pulse of power, and shape-shifted into a beautifully-crafted Kwan Dao. Monkey Fist gave it a few test swings, and with each stroke of the blade, he heard 'singing'...happy 'singing'.

It had finally accept him.

Monkey Fist smiled a true smile for perhaps the first time in nearly a decade, and willed the Lotus Blade back to its original katana form. Sensei smiled at Monkey Fist.

"You are ready," he said, giving Monkey Fist a bow. Monkey Fist returned it, and put the Blade back into the case.

"What now?" he asked the elder Master. Sensei gestured for Monkey Fist to follow, and walked them both to a building outside the vicinity of the rest of the school.

"Fulfillment of the Prophesy," Sensei told him. He walked up to an alter, where a scroll lay unrolled and presented for Monkey Fist to read. As the Monkey Master read, Sensei continued speaking. "You are meant to save the world, Fiske-san, and you have it within the power to do so..." He paused, waiting for Monkey Fist to catch up in the reading.

"...But you will need help."


	11. Alliance I

Drew walked back into the Possible household, pulling his hair back into a ponytail; he didnt know why he kept losing rubber bands, but he did. He noticed immediately that no one else was home, not that it was too big a surprise. James was at work, Anne was on her day off, but taking Sheena maternity shopping, and Kim had been called on a mission not five minutes ago. He knew that because he had just been with Kim in the spacious backyard near the house training.

He had made good on his promise to put 100% into whatever Kim had to teach him, which was good, because come to find, he actually had natural ability that blended in well with his plant powers. After summer break had ended, Kim made a decision, based on the greater good of the Earth, to skip the first semester of her fourth year of college to continue training herself, and Drew, for the inevitable confrontation with 'Z'.

So, for the past six months, Drew had taken whatever Kim had to teach him to heart and soul, keeping the reason for fighting clear in his mind the whole time, and being reminded of it every time he saw his fiance, and her rapidly-swelling middle that contained their child. Every time he thought he couldnt go on, he thought about them. Every time Kim managed to knock him down, the thought of them forced him back up. Sheena and his child made him fight back with more ferocity and heart than he had ever thought himself capable of.

And that ferocity and heart had a very positive effect on his plant powers.

A few months into training with Kim, Drew began to realize that his powers seemed to be growing in strength. The stronger he became physically, the stronger his powers became. He could control plantlife more easily. He could create plant life MUCH more easily; he had just recently managed to make a tree grow-in November, even. The 'voices' of the plant life became much clearer, but at the same time, he found that he could block them out much easier, too. 'Merging' with plants became more natural to him, and he even found that he could produce more than vines and flowers from his body. Thorns quickly became his favorite.

Training became easier with Kim, too. His bruises, cracked bones, and concussions healed almost instantly by this point, so he could train longer and build up a very strong tolerance to pain. He also incorporated his plant powers into fighting, which was much easier when he was already around plant life; it was still a little taxing on his body to create plant life to use in battle, but it WAS always fun to trip Kim up with his vines and hang her up by the ankles near the end of a sparring session.

Drew sighed and went into the kitchen for something warm to drink; it was the first of December, and one of the drawbacks to being a plant hybrid was sensitivity to cold. It still didnt stop him from training with Kim, so he quickly learned to tolerate it. He was just happy that his plants also provided an herbalistic immunity effect on his blood to keep him from getting sick.

He made himself some coffee and checked the time; it was still early in the afternoon. Plenty of time to waste before dinner. He absently wondered if they still played 'Snowman Hank' at this time of year (he had all of the episodes on DVD, but those had been back at his home in California) as he sipped his coffee.

All of a sudden, it seemed like there was something...ELSE in the room with him.

"Drew Lipsky-san."

Drew nearly jumped right out of the chair he was sitting in and almost dropped his coffee as he whipped around to face the voice that had captured his attention; his vines, at the ready with poisoned thorns, snapped out his spine, completely ruining the shirt he was wearing. However, what he saw made his vines behave as his brain had trouble comprending what he saw.

...There was ghostly, glowing Japanese man floating in the living room.

...What the hell was in that coffee...?

"...Good Lord, tell me I'm not hallucinating," Drew muttered, putting a hand to his face, "because I CANNOT take anymore stress than I already -"

"Calm yourself, Lipsky-san," the man said, holding up a hand. "You are not hallucinating. I am merely an astral projection."

"Oh. MERELY an astral projection..." Drew griped to himself, massaging the bridge of his nose. "...And here I thought things couldnt get any more weird for my life..."

"I fear that I must burden you with another 'thing', Lipsky-san," the man said. "I am here in regards to the role you are to play in defeating The Omega One."

"...Come again now?" Drew asked, crossing his arms and arching a brow.

"Stoppable-sama. Known by 'Z'."

The very mention of 'Z' made Drew's vines crawl under his skin again in anger. "...What about it?" he asked. "I mean, granted, I DO want a piece of that bastard for threatening the lives of my fiance and our child, but what are YOU talking about?"

The astral projection was silent for a few moments. "There is a prophesy, Lipsky-san, about The Omega One. He is destined to bring about the apocalypse." The man waved his hand, and Drew's eyes widened when he saw an enlargement of another ghost-like projection with script he couldnt read appear before him; however, there WERE pictures, which illustrated the point quite clearly.

A detailed inking of a young man who bore a striking resemblence to 'Z', surrounded by a black-blue light, stood over an inking of the Earth, which was cloaked in blackness.

"...Okaaaaay," Drew said, feeling a deathly cold weight in his stomach just LOOKING at that picture. "So, 'Z' is the bringer of Armegeddon. Brilliant." He ran a hand through his hair, scowling. "So what do I have anything to do with this, other than having a slim-to-none chance of stopping him?"

The man waved his hand again, and the inking of 'Z' vanished, only to be replaced by more script Drew couldnt read, accompanied by another picture of 'Z'; only this inking was being soundly defeated by a black, thorny vines infused with golden light. The vines and the light were coming from two other figures -one of them looking similar to a monkey/human hybrid wielding a sword, and the other being a man surrounded by plants and vines.

"The Prophesy states that the Masters of Earth and Monkey together will save the world from darkness," the man said. "I have with me the Master of Monkey...all that is needed is the Master of Earth. YOU, Lipsky-san. YOU are the Master of Earth."

...Well. If THIS wasnt ironic, Drew didnt know what was. "...Come again?" he asked, his face void of any emotion.

"Is it really so surprising?" the man asked. "It is no coincidence that your pollination solution had a unique effect on you. It ultimately gave you power over the fruits of Earth itself, which makes you the Master of Earth."

Drew let out a heavy, almost pained sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive migraine build up despite his immunity defenses. "...You MUST be joking, if not mistaken," he replied after a few moments. "Yes, granted, I DO have powers over plants, but a MASTER of EARTH? I'm sorry, but THAT is NOT possible."

"And why not, Lipsky-san?" the man asked, gesturing again, and once more changing the inking projection to a full-bodied picture of the so-called Master of Earth, which Drew had to admit looked much like him...sans the blue, of course, but the figure was dressed in mostly blue, and had mullet-style hair. Ancient document or not, the similarity was far too strong for it to be a mere coincidence. "You always thought of being the master of the world. Master of Earth is exactly what and who you are, just...not in the way you intended it to be."

Drew continued to stare at the picture of his supposedly prophesized self in silence. "...You're saying that I am the only hope for the world?" he asked softly.

"You, and the Monkey Master TOGETHER, are the only hope for the world," the man reiterated. "A strange combination of powers, yes, but they are the only ones that will be effective, when it counts the most." He paused. "You have been training for this, have you not? And you have become strong; much stronger than you ever had imagined possible. The Monkey Master too has trained, and it is no coincidence that the two of you are now ready at this very point in time.

"The time has come, Lipsky-san," he continued. "You and the Monkey Master must meet and work together, if you wish for the world and your loved ones to be saved."

Drew said nothing; he couldnt find anything TO say, really. This was just...too much. Him? The MASTER of Earth? It was unreal...almost laughable. He had long ago abandoned any real desire for conquest or control of Earth, and NOW he was the MASTER of it? No. Effing. Way.

"I can see that you need time to contemplate your destiny," the man said, making the image of the Master of Earth vanish with a gesture. "I must insist that you make your choice by sunrise, Lipsky-san. Your counterpart awaits you at the Yamanouchi Ninja School in Japan. Possible-san knows where it is. Please. For the sake of the world and your family, choose wisely."

And with that, he was gone.

Drew stood and stared at the point in space where the astral projection once was, then collapsed back into his chair and buried his face in his hands.

* * *

Dinner was a morbidly quiet affair for some reason; Anne and Sheena had a fun time shopping for the baby, James had run a successful test run for a new rocket, and Kim's mission went well. But apparantly, Drew's tense mood was palpable enough for everyone else to feel it, and act accordingly -quiet as so not to make his apparant delicate psyche snap.

It was just after everyone finished eating that Kim's Kimmunicator beeped, indicating that it was Wade. Wade was rooming with his parents again, mostly to make sure they were okay. Kim pressed the button. "What's up, Wade?" she asked.

Wade was very quiet for a moment. "...Kim, there's some serious trouble going on," he said, his voice shaking slightly. Kim's eyes narrowed; it wasnt like Wade to be shaken up like this.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Is it...HIM?" She never really said Ron's name anymore, mostly because it was too painful for her. Her suspicions were confirmed by a nod from Wade. Close by, Drew visibly tensed.

"Kim...there's been some...terrible reports around the villain ring," Wade informed her, getting Drew's undivided attention by this point. Though he was retired from villainy, Drew and Sheena still had friends in the villain ring. Seeing Drew's interest, Kim pressed a button that projected the screen of the Kimmunicator into a larger hologram image so he could see, too. "...For one...Hench Co. has been completely cleaned out...and Jack Hench is dead."

Kim gasped and Drew suddenly felt ill, but they knew that it wasnt all there was.

"...Prof. Dementor was found dead by some of his staff just yesterday," Wade continued, his voice fighting to stay even. "...Duff Killigan is in the hospital in a coma...DNAmy has gone missing...and the Seniors..." He sighed. "Their fortune is COMPLETELY gone. Not a penny left. Senior Sr. had a stroke when he found out, and Senior Jr. and Bonnie are inconsoable...they have NOTHING left, Kim..." He sighed again, running a hand down his face. "I...I dont know what to make of it..."

"I do," Drew growled, getting Kim and Wade's attention. Drew's vines were curling out from under his clothes in rage. "He tried to recruit them too...and they refused. So he either killed them or took everything from them...!" One of his vines snapped outward, completely demolishing a vase. "...They may be villains, Kim...but most of them are my friends...!" He put a hand to his face and forced himself to calm down.

Sheena, who had been listening in, rushed into the room and pulled her fiance into a hug. Everyone stood in silence for a few minutes until Drew raised his head and looked at Kim and the projection of Wade.

"...Get us a ride to Japan," he instructed Wade.

"Um...where to?" Wade asked, already typing away.

"...Yamanouchi Ninja School."

Kim nearly dropped the Kimmunicator. "...How do you know about Yamanouchi?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"...Some old man appeared in an astral projection earlier today when I was home alone," Drew replied, realizing just how ridiculous it really sounded out loud. "He told me...that a Monkey Master and myself...are destined to save the world together, and that if I made up my mind to do so, to meet with them at Yamanouchi in Japan."

Silence.

"...Drew...are you feeling alright?" Sheena asked, putting a hand to her fiance's forehead. Drew gently pulled her hand away.

"Sheena, I know that it sounds ridiculous, but it's true," he replied, his voice dead serious. "...He told me that I am the Master of Earth...in the sense of flora, I believe." To accentuate his point, he held his hand palm-up and a peace lily bloomed in his palm. "...Sheena...it isnt just coincidence that this plant power is so powerful." He plucked the lily and put it in her hair, then kissed her cheek. "...I swore that I would protect you, and that's what I'm going to do."

"Um...the only ride to Japan I can get is available first thing tomorrow morning," Wade cut in.

"It's perfect," Kim said. "Keep us posted, alright Wade?" Wade nodded and signed off, and Kim turned to see Drew sharing a nonverbal conversation wtih his fiance. She could practically hear what was being silently spoken between them.

_'I dont want you to go,'_ said the way Sheena clutched Drew's hands in her own.

_'I have to.'_ Drew gave her a sad smile. _'For you. For the baby.'_ His eyes flickered to her large belly.

_'What if you get hurt?_' Sheena's eyes teared up.

_'It'll be okay.'_ Drew reached up and brushed them away before kissing her.

Kim left the room to give them some privacy. She had some packing to do.

* * *

Morning came far too soon. Their ride to the private airplane to take them to Japan drove up to the driveway at six in the morning, and everyone in the Possible household was awake and waiting outside.

Kim hugged her parents, promising them that she would stay safe. Drew held Sheena quietly for those last few moments before he had to leave, then picked up his pack and headed for the car.

"...DREW!"

Drew turned around in time to catch Sheena in his arms. She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. "Drew, dont go!" she cried into his shoulder. "...Damn it...! I...I know I never said 'I love you' enough, but goddamnit Drew, I...!"

"Sheena, I'll be fine...!" Drew assured, stroking her back. "I'll come back. I swear it." He smiled sadly to himself. "Now come on...I'm supposed to be the emotional one, right? I'll come back." Sheena pulled back and looked him in the eye.

"...Alive," she replied. "You had better come back ALIVE, Drew Theodore P. Lipsky!" She emphasized her point with a sharp jab of an index finger to his chest. "You still have to marry me and be a dad! If you die, I'll kill you."

Drew smiled and kissed her before holding up his hand. "Close your eyes," he said softly. Sheena gave him a 'look', but complied. After a few moments, he said, "Now open." Sheena opened her eyes and gasped in delight when she saw that Drew had somehow created an emerald-green rose with a black stem and thorns. She carefully took it in her hands and looked it over.

"...I didnt know you could create new species of plants..." she marvelled. Drew smiled.

"It's only a fraction of unique as you are, my dear 'Shego'," he said. "I promise, I'll come back alive. I PROMISE." He gave her another kiss, then stepped back. "Stay safe, Sheena. I love you." He turned and got into the car next to Kim, keeping his eyes on his beloved fiance the whole time until she was out of his sight.

* * *

**Hooray for obligatory romance scene. Mmmyep.**


	12. Alliance II

The plane ride to Japan would take several hours, and Kim was absently using her Kimmunicator to scan the world news for traces of crimes pertaining to 'Z'; there were quite a few. It quickly became too depressing for Kim to continue, so she turned the Kimmunicator off and looked over at Drew.

The former villain was sitting quietly in his seat, his arms crossed and his gaze focused out the window. It was so completely unused to what Kim used to know about the man, it almost seemed surreal. It wasnt the Dr. Drakken she used to know.

And it suddenly hit her that she knew so little about him, even though they had been living under the same roof for a little over six months, and even trained together. Everything was strictly business, and then he clammed up about the personal life. From what she had gathered from Sheena, who was more friendly with her mother than her, all she knew about 'Drew' was that he had shed the monkier of 'Drakken', finished the last two years of college he had dropped out of all those years ago, and had taken up some legal government work. But that was about it.

...Oh, and he was engaged to Sheena and was expecting a child in about another month or two. Yeah, in Kim's mind, there seemed to be a lot of plot holes that she was actually interested in having filled.

Before she could stop herself, she had sat down across from Drew and asked, "You really love her, dont you?"

Drew looked up, surprise evident on his face. Kim had never really initiated conversation before, other than the occasional 'good morning' over the breakfast table. It took him a moment to register the question. "...Yes," he replied. "I do."

Awkward silence ensued for a few moments.

"...Why do you ask?" Drew queried. Kim shrugged, shifting around uncomfortably for a moment.

"I was just curious," she replied. "I mean...I never really knew about...you two. Even when you started staying with us..." She paused. "...I just didnt expect you two to...get married." She looked up when she heard Drew scoff softly.

"To be perfectly honest," he replied softly, "neither did I." He sighed. "...Not for the longest time..."

"Why is that?" Kim asked, fully interested. Drew gave her a solid 'duh' expression.

"Kimberly, I am forty-five years old," he said. "I was a med-school drop out, failed villainous scientist, with blue skin and freakish vines that kept coming out of my spinal column, with almost NOTHING to offer a woman." He sighed heavily and shifted his eyes to look out the window again. "...And for some reason, Sheena decided that I was worth something, and stayed with me. First as very good comrades...and then as lovers. And THAT, Kim, was MORE than I could EVER have hoped for with her." He paused for a moment, as though to collect his thoughts.

"...And then one day, Sheena told me that she loved me, and I made the mistake of asking her why." He laughed mirthlessly, shaking his head. "'WHY do you love me, Sheena?' I asked her. 'HOW can you love me? What do I have to offer you, when you can have someone younger...better...not as flawed as me...'." He broke off for another moment. "I thought she was playing me. I know that I'm nothing much to look at. I know that I'm not anything much to show off to friends. I KNEW these things." He frowned. "We got into a huge argument about it, and she stormed out of the house." He reached up to massage the bridge of his nose tiredly, looking as though the very memory physically pained him.

"...She was gone for three days before I began to panic. I began calling up everyone we both knew, hoping and praying that someone knew where she was, but no one did. I even called up her brothers...Hego can actually be very frightening when it comes to someone 'breaking his baby sister's heart'...and I had to interrupt his rant on all the horrible things he was going to do to me if he ever saw Shego cry like that again, and told him that if he saw her...to tell her that I was sorry...to tell her that I was undeserving of her love, even if I loved her too.

"...Just a few hours later, Sheena came home...it turns out that she was at Go Tower and heard what I had said. We talked things over...and she told me why she loved me." He allowed a tiny smile to quirk at his lips. "...And I told her why I loved her." He sighed again. "...A year later...I took her out to dinner, and proposed to her. She just stared at me for a few moments before laughing. Before my heart could break, she said yes, put on the ring, kissed me, and told me that she was pregnant."

Kim, who always enjoyed a good romantic story, smiled as Drew laughed. "I passed out in the middle of the restaruant, and Sheena dumped a glass of champagne on my face to wake me up." That time, Kim giggled; she could actually picture that vividly in her mind. "Oh, I got her back...I invited Mother over the next morning for brunch to share the good news, and listened in as she called up all of my relatives. I could hear Cousin Eddie crying over the phone."

His eyes suddenly went a little misty. "...The reality of it all hit me like a ton of bricks when Ed came over to congradulate me...he told me that he never thought it'd happen after all this time..." He put a hand over his eyes. "I was forty-four years old...and I was going to be a husband...AND a father...a FATHER, Kim. At MY age..." He ran his hand through his hair. "You must understand, Kimberly...I had never fathomed having any children...and by that time, I had given up the very notion. I thought I was too old to begin having children. That child that Sheena carries right now...is a miracle to me." His hands clenched into the armrests of his seat. "...And that bastard almost took it away from me because it would have been inconvenient to HIM."

Hearing Drew say that only made Kim see further into the depravity of 'Z's mind; it wasnt exactly something she wanted to think about, so she quickly changed the subject. "...Shego seems to have taken to motherhood...a lot better than I'd have guessed," she put in. Drew calmed down and actually snorted.

"I understand your sentiments perfectly," he replied. "Sheena never really liked kids, so of course it was a shock when she expressed how excited she was about the baby..." He smiled. "...I suppose it proves how much she loves me...if she's willing to embrace parenthood with me..." He looked out the window, his eyes containing a somewhat dreamy expression. "...She's always been there for me, for better or worse, since we've met...I cant fathom a life without her... If...if anything were to happen to her, or our child..." He broke off, putting his hand over his eyes again, unable to finish that train of thought.

Kim found herself unable to say anything, mostly because she could, yet could not, empathize completely. She too had someone who stood by her for better or worse. She too couldnt fathom life without said someone. And yet...there she sat; with no 'someone' to stand by her...and she was living life without that 'someone'. Kim looked away from Drew and stared out the window, feeling a tear run down her face.

_'...Ron...'_

Neither of them spoke a word for the rest of the trip to Japan.

* * *

They touched base in Japan, just in sight of the familiar mountains, which Kim informed Drew that they would be walking to. The former villain didnt complain; he even offered to carry the extra bag Kim had with her.

"...Wait...I thought you only had one bag with you when we left," he commented as they began walking. Kim gave him a sidelong glance, trying to repress a grin.

"It's not actually mine," she replied, handing it over to him. "It's a...gift from Wade. He thought that you needed some 'mission clothes' of your own, so he whipped it up for you and sent it to the plane." Drew arched a brow, but said nothing, though Kim could see him mouthing, "Mission clothes?" to himself, and shaking his head.

It was a very long walk, and especially arduous, what with all the snow, but completely worth it when Kim finally saw Yamanouchi in the distance. "Hey, we're here," she told Drew, who had zoned out for most of the walk.

"I know," he replied distractedly. Kim stared.

"How?" she asked. "You've never seen it before." Drew gave her a 'stare'.

"Hello." He pointed to his head. "I can hear plants' 'thoughts'. They told me a mile back that we were almost there."

"Oh." Kim blushed and walked ahead. "Right..." She came to the bridge of the ninja school and sighed with relief. "Finally..."

The courtyard of the school was completely empty, save for Master Sensei, who stood patiently waiting for them. "Welcome," he greeted. "Possible-san. Lipsky-san."

"Hello again, Master Sensei," Kim replied, bowing respectfully. Drew just stared.

"...At least you're not an astral projection this time," he said absently, looking around. Kim rolled her eyes. Master Sensei gave Drew a smile and gestured for them to follow him.

"I am eternally grateful that you have chosen to fulfill your destiny, Lipsky-san," Sensei said, indeed sounding relieved and grateful. "It is truely an honor to be in the presence of the Master of Earth."

"Words I never thought I'd hear," Drew replied, mostly under his breath. "Though I'm choking on the irony." He sighed. "You mentioned that I would be working with a 'Monkey Master', right?" Sensei nodded.

"He is waiting in the temple," he said. "I would imagine the two of you have much catching up to do." Drew made a noncommital sound before blinking.

"...What do you mean by that?" he asked. Sensei didnt reply; instead, he opened the doors and walked them both into a large, dimly-lit room, where someone was already waiting, sitting in lotus position and wearing a black gi.

"The Master of Earth has arrived," Sensei announced. The Monkey Master in mention stood up and turned around, elicting a shocked reaction from both Kim and Drew.

"MONKEY FIST?" Kim nearly shouted.

"HIM?" Drew gaped, pointing.

"Kim Possible? Drakken?"

Sensei would have been highly amused if the situation were not so dire. "Indeed, Fiske-san," he said, gesturing to them. "But now, you meet your partner in your crusade: The Master of Earth."

Monkey Fist stared hard at them. "...Kim Possible is the Master of Earth?" he demanded, pointing to the young woman. Drew rolled his eyes and smacked a hand to his face. Kim blushed and took a step away from Drew.

"Not at all, Fiske-san," Sensei replied, pointing to Drew. "He is."

"...You MUST be joking me," Monkey Fist drolled in a deadpan tone. Drew looked up from his hand and glared.

"Care for a demonstration, Monty?" he asked, his vines slipping out from under his coat collar threateningly.

"...Whatever is THAT on your neck?" Monkey Fist asked, pointing to it. "...Is that a vine?" Drew only smirked.

"Care to find out?" he asked.

"Um...question," Kim asked Sensei as the two men stared each other down. "How did he get out of the stone?"

"I released him from Yono's contract," Sensei replied. "Fiske-san agreed to change his path of life for the better. He has mastery of his Mystical Monkey Power, and the Lotus Blade recognizes him as its master. He truely has changed from the villain you once knew." He inclined his head to Drew. "Much like Lipsky-san has."

Kim looked over at Monkey Fist, who looked like he was preparing to kick Drew's ass. "...Right. I see that 'changing his life' has done nothing for that temper of his."

"One must walk before they can run, Possible-san," Sensei replied, sighing.

"...and just because you have some minimal control over plants makes YOU the Master of Earth?" Monkey Fist was saying. "It's simply FAR too incomprehensable!"

Drew's eye twitched. "Well, believe it, Monkey-Boy, because I am, according to him!" he replied, jerking his thumb towards Sensei. "And I STILL dont really understa..." He broke off, blinking and staring into nothing.

"What, did your brain FINALLY blow a fuse, Drakken?" Monkey Fist asked, smirking. Drew held up a hand for silence, his eyes narrowing in bewilderment.

"...What IS that...?" he muttered to himself. "...It...it sounds like..."

All of a sudden, a loud sound outside reached them, immediately followed by a younger girl rushing into the Temple.

"MASTER SENSEI!" she cried. "WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"

"By whom?" Sensei demanded.

"I...I dont know!" the girl stammered. "They...they're not natural, Sensei! They -!" She was cut off by something knocking into her hard, sending her sprawling to the floor. The other four present stared in awe at what appeared to be a hybrid of a monkey...and a machine.

"Is that a cybernetic MONKEY?" Monkey Fist shouted, clenching his fists; the girl was right...it WAS unnatural, especially considering the cybernetics looked NOTHING like they ought to; it looked like something out of a bad science fiction/horror movie. In fact...it looked like it was carrying itself as though it was in pain from the unnaturalness of itself, but being made to move anyway. "WHO in their right mind would...!"

"That's just it, Monkey Fist," Drew said, tensing up. "NO ONE in their right mind WOULD. This is 'Z's doing! He's cybernetically altered monkeys, and did a shit-poor job of it, too!"

"Cybernetic or not, those monkeys are BEATING to students!" Kim pointed out, seeing the students actually LOSING to the cybernetic monkeys, which were using advanced levels of Tai Shing Pek Kwar that easily outclassed the students' abilities. "Come on! We have to help them!" She charged forward, and was immediately engaged in combat with the monkey in the doorway.

Monkey Fist and Drew ran out of the temple in a bid to help, but the cybernetic monkeys didnt seem to be interested in fighting them; in fact, a few of them rushed right past them -and straight towards Kim.

"KIMBERLY, WATCH OUT!" Drew yelled, his vines shooting out of his back (and once more destroying his clothing) and snatching up the monkeys before tossing them away from her. The monkeys, now seeing him as a threat, advanced on him, only to be thrown back again by the vines. Drew crouched to the ground and put both hands to it, and from underneath the cracks in the stone, more vines and plants appeared, and began restraining the cybernetic monkeys, which proved to be unable to break free of the strength in his vines.

Drew stood back up, shivering slightly from his sensitivity to the cold. "Any idea of how to dispatch them?" he asked Monkey Fist, who was staring at him like HE was the freak anomoly of nature. "...What?"

"...Never mind," Monkey Fist replied, shaking his head. He stepped up to one of the restrained monkeys to examine it. "...This is truely a disgusting manner of which to use monkeys," he muttered. "And from the Ultimate Monkey Master? ...Ridiculous..."

"The Ultimate Who now?" Drew asked, putting his arms around himself. Before Monkey Fist could answer, they both heard a short scream from the temple, then saw the monkey Kim had been fighting walk out with Kim over its shoulder, with two much larger cybernetic monkeys in tow. "Kimberly!"

The largest of the three monkeys stepped forward and actually knelt in Monkey Fist's direction, then began speaking in its own monkey language. Monkey Fist listened with rapt attention, then suddenly snarled and whipped out the Lotus Blade from his sash.

"You can tell your MASTER that I will NEVER join him after what he's done!" he shouted over to the monkey. "Now unhand the girl!" The cybernetic monkey didnt reply; instead, it and the other two took off in the opposite direction.

"Damn it! Kimberly!" Drew took off after them, only to lose them over the precipace of the mountain. He stood glaring over the edge of the abyss until Monkey Fist and Sensei caught up with him, though they stayed back, wary of his thorn-bristled vines that snapped angrily around him.

"...Any other objections to him being the Master of Earth?" Sensei asked quietly. Monkey Fist just stared at Drew with only a semi-impressed expression.

"...I have yet to be completely amazed," he replied.

"Like you, he has yet to tap into his full potential," Sensei commented. "But even as he is now, his power is impressive nonetheless. And the Prophesy states that it is the two of you TOGETHER that will defeat The Omega One. I highly suggest you get along with him." With that said, Sensei turned and began walking back to Yamanouchi.

Monkey Fist turned his attention back to Drew, whose vines were slowly receeding back into his body, something Monkey Fist found both fascinating and disturbing at the same time. At least the danger of getting whacked by thorny vines was gone. He walked up to Drew, still keeping a safe distance, just in case. "...Drakken, let's go back," he said as civilly as he could. He visibly saw Drew's posture slump slighly in defeat.

"...I lost them," Drew said, turning around and putting his arms around himself, shivering from the cold. "...I let them take her..." Monkey Fist arched a brow over Drew's apparant worry for Kim Possible.

"You didnt 'let' them do anything," he replied. "They got away. We know to whom they are taking her to. We'll...get her back." He shifted uncomfortably and looked back toward the school. "...Let's go back. It's only going to get colder out here, and you are sans a shirt or coat." He began walking back to the school, and Drew followed him.

Once they were inside and Drew was found another shirt to wear, Sensei practically pushed Monkey Fist into Drew's room so they could talk to each other. Drew only gave Monkey Fist a sidelong glance, then returned to staring into space. Monkey Fist sat down and leaned against the wall adjacent to Drew's and watched the other man in silence.

"...What is your favorite flower?" Drew suddenly asked. Monkey Fist looked at him, confused at the utterly random question.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"...What's your favorite flower?"

"...A lily," Monkey Fist replied, wondering if Drew really had gone around the bend right about now.

"Your favorite colors?"

"...Honestly, Drakken, this is not a date -!"

"Colors."

Sigh. "Black...and gold, I suppose...but what does that have to do with any..." He broke off when Drew held up his hand and right in the palm grew a perfect black lily with beautiful gold spots -right before his very eyes. Monkey Fist had never seen a black and gold lily before...he didnt even know that it could be cultivated. "How did you...?"

"I can create plant life from nothing," Drew replied, picking the lily up from his palm and examining it. "I can alter the color to whatever I choose. I can even mix and create entire new species of plants. ...And to think, it all happened because some of my own hyper-pollination solution spilled right on me." He let out a mirthless laugh. "...I was never a fatalist, but these days, I'm starting to believe it. How else could these events have fallen into place?"

Monkey Fist said nothing; the 'creating plant life from nothing' bit was still impressing him, but he had to agree with what Drew was saying. They both sat in silence for a few long minutes.

"...Master Sensei said...that we must work together, if we are to defeat The Omega One," Monkey Fist finally said. "I wholeheartedly agree. He MUST be stopped." His hands clenched tightly into fists, which emitted the barest trace of a golden glow. "...His perverse cybernetic experimentation on the very creatures he is the Ultimate patron of...it's just the beginning...I shudder to think of what else he would stoop to."

"He's already stooped to attempted murder of an unborn child, I THINK I can take a wild guess," Drew replied bitterly, the lily in his hand wilting into nothingness. Monkey Fist stared at him.

"Whose unborn child?" he demanded. "That's...that's simply EVIL...!" Drew was silent for a moment.

"...Mine and Shego's," he replied after a moment. Monkey Fist blinked.

"...I...you..." He took a moment to compose himself. "...It's alright, isnt it?"

"Due next month," Drew replied, still staring at his hand. "...That's MY reason for wanting to stop him; he attacked my fiance and attempted murder of our child. I'm going to KILL him for that."

Monkey Fist couldnt blame him in the least; that WAS a perversion he would NEVER have thought possible of the boy he had once called a buffoon. Heaving a sigh, he stood up and turned to the door. "We should get some rest," he told his comrade. "We'll leave for the Americas tomorrow; Master Sensei has a distinct feeling he's SOMEWHERE there...we just have to find out where." Drew made a noncommital sound and went back to staring into space. Monkey Fist stared at his comrade for a moment before shutting the door and walking back to his own room.

* * *

Early at sunrise the next morning, Drew was digging around his pack for something to wear before he remembered the small pack Kim had given him yesterday that contained 'mission clothes' from Wade. He picked the pack up and opened it, pulling out something blue and staring at it. "...Oh, you're hilarious, nerdlinger," he muttered to himself. Nevertheless, he put it on, finding that it fit perfectly.

His 'mission clothes' were almost an exact replica of the outfit he had trademarked in his villain days; the only difference was the coat came to mid-thigh instead if his ankles, which made moving around in it much easier. The material was also different, though he couldnt place exactly what it was. He looked into the pack once more to see if it was all, and found a small wrist Kimmunicator at the bottom of the pack. He held it in his hand for a moment before turning it on and seeing Wade.

"Oh...hey, Dr. Drakken...lookin' good," he said, obviously proud of his own creation. Drew rolled his eyes.

"Your sense of humor is not amusing, and is not welcome at this point," he replied, putting the Kimmunicator on his wrist. "Apparantly, 'Z' has been cybernetically altering monkeys, and did a poor job of it. They attacked Yamanouchi yesterday...and took Kimberly with them."

"Oh no!" Wade shouted, then began typing furiously on his computer. "...C'mon...c'mon...DAMN IT!"

"What?"

"The tracking chip I put in Kim is disabled!" Wade cried, pulling at his hair. "Either those cyborg monkeys took it out, or she's already with 'Z', and HE disabled it...!" He slammed a fist into the desk. "If it was there, I could have told you were they were headed...!"

"We have a lead that he's somewhere in the Americas," Drew told him, picking up his bags. "Check for ANYTHING out of the villainy ordinary in North and South America...I have a feeling that he's not in the States, so check Canada and South America, mostly."

"Gotcha, Dr. D," Wade said, already typing away. Drew stepped out of the room and began to trek toward the temple.

"...Wade, why do you and Kimberly still call me 'Drakken'?" Drew suddenly asked, just as the temple was in sight. Wade looked up from his typing and smiled sheepishly.

"...It's just what we know you as," he replied, shrugging. "Call it a term of endearment, if you must...but really, Dr. Drakken is who we see you as. It's not a bad thing. After all, it WAS a Dr. Drakken who saved the world using vines and flowers."

"Ha ha," Drew replied mirthlessly. "Keep me posted."

"Gotcha, Dr. D." Wade signed off, and Drew walked into the temple, where Sensei and Monkey Fist were already waiting. Monkey Fist turned and grinned at him.

"Now THAT is the Drakken I remember," he said, gesturing to Drew's clothing. Drew said nothing; even Monkey Fist still referred to him as Drakken. And quite frankly, as much as he denied it to himself, and even Sheena, he missed his alias, and all that came with it. Hell, Wade was right; it wasnt Drew Lipsky that 'saved the Earth' three and a half years ago. It was Dr. Drakken. And here he was, about to go out and attempt to do it again.

Drew -Drakken- rolled his eyes and eyed Monkey Fist. "And you havent changed at all from what I remember," he replied. "I'm still debating if that's a good thing or not." He smirked as THAT wiped the grin off of Monkey Fist's face.

"I have arranged for the two of you to be taken to the States," Master Sensei told them. "After that, you are on your own. Just remember to work in synergy, and there is nothing you cannot do." He bowed to the two of them, giving their cue to depart, and the two of them walked out of the temple and toward the rope bridge leading out of the school. On their way, the students of Yamanouchi bowed in respect to them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Monkey Fist spied a beautiful young woman looking right at him, and turned his head to look at her. It took him a moment to recognize her as Yori, the ninja girl that had helped Ron and Kim thwart him sometimes. She gave him a sad look, and she seemed to speak to him without words:_ 'Stay safe. Bring 'Z' down, and bring Ron-kun back.'_ Then she bowed to him and turned away before vanishing.

"I informed Wade to keep us posted on 'Z' activity," Drakken said absently. "I think he's either in Canada or South America; he wants to be close, but not TOO close." Monkey Fist made a noncommital sound as they began trekking down the mountain; he was too busy trying to decipher what Yori had 'told' him. 'Bring Ron back'? What did she mean?

He had plenty of time to ponder it as he walked down the mountain and twoard the airport with his comrade in destiny.


	13. Synergy

**The updates wont be every day from now on...I have other needs to attend to and the such. But...here. Enjoy.**

* * *

The plane ride back to the states wasnt very exciting, despite the crusade to save the world and the horrible anticipation of going face-to-face with 'Z'. Monkey Fist and Drakken minded their own businesses, not speaking to each other at all for the entire duration of the plane ride. It was much easier for Monkey Fist, Drakken couldnt help but think dryly. The man had a true talent for zoning out for hours at a time and calling it meditaion. Drakken needed something -anything- to keep him preoccupied.

It was a last resort that he finally called Wade. "Did you find anything out yet?" he asked. Wade just gave him a weird look.

"...Getting bored already?" he asked, fighting to keep a smirk off of his face. Drakken's eye twitched. "Okay, okay...jeeze..." He did some typing. "South America is dead quiet, save for...um..." He scratched the back of his head. "Most of the continent's monkey population's decline."

THAT got Monkey Fist's attention. He sat up straight and looked at the Kimmunicator on Drakken's wrist. "What do you mean, 'monkey population's decline'?" he demanded. Wade's eyes widened.

"Whoa...no one told me that YOU were the one Dr. D was accompanying on this -"

"Answer the damned question, boy!" Monkey Fist snarled. Wade held up his hands.

"Okay! ...Jeeze...a lot of primatologists and other scientist have noticed that many monkeys and apes have vanished...especially in the Amazon region."

"DAMN IT!" Monkey Fist swore, slamming his fist into the arm rest and effectively breaking it. "...Some of the monkeys at Yamanouchi were indigenous to the Amazon! He's abducting them and..." He cut off, unable to continue speaking from rage. Drakken gave him a sympathetic look and turned back to the Kimmunicator.

"So other than purging Central and South America of the monkey population, anything else?" he asked.

"Surprisingly...no," Wade replied, typing away. "...But in Canada...the banks are being purged like they were here in the US." He looked back up at Drakken. "My guess is, 'Z' is somewhere in Canada. I just dont know WHERE, and Canada's nearly as big as the US...I cant even narrow down the providence for you. I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Drakken told him. "We just need to cross the border, and we can locate him after that."

"How?" Wade and Monkey Fist asked him. Drakken shifted a little bit.

"...I...have a theory," he finally said slowly. "...It has to do with my powers...I'm not sure if it will work, but I think it MIGHT..." He broke off, sighing. "We just need to get to Canada. Where is this plane headed, anyway?"

"California," Monkey Fist replied. "Near Big Sur..." He blinked when Drakken made a soft sound of disbelief. "What?"

"That's a short drive away from my home," Drakken replied tersely. He glared out the window.

"You live in Big Sur?" Wade asked. "...Pretty ritzy, Dr. D...but what's wrong with that?"

"...I have no idea if my house is even still standing," Drakken said, putting his fingertips to his mouth. "...I dont...want to see mine and Sheena's home gone...I put so much effort into it..."

"We dont HAVE to stop by," Monkey Fist put in, crossing his arms. Drakken rubbed at his eyes with his free hand.

"I know we dont have to," he said. "...But...I need to see if something is still there..." He turned back to the Kimmunicator. "Thank you, Wade. Keep us posted."

"Will do. Good luck, Dr. D. You too, Monkey Fist." Wade signed off, leaving Drakken to glare out the window silently for the remainder of the plane trip home.

* * *

It wasnt difficult to get a cab once they landed; Drakken had used this particular airport before for business trips, and most of the cabbies knew him, anyway. He asked to be taken to his house, and he and Monkey Fist once more delved into silence for the ride.

"We're here, Mr. Lipsky," the cab driver said. Drakken looked up and the relief seeing his house still intact was extremely evident on his face. He quickly paid the driver and got out to rush up to his home. Monkey Fist followed, and the cab drove away.

"It's still standing," Drakken sighed, most of his weight being supported by the hand on the front door. "Oh, thank God, it's still standing...!"

"Why is this house so special?" Monkey Fist queried, looking it over. "I mean...granted, the real estate is fine, what with the ocean-side view and all..."

"Monty, this house...was my engagement gift to Sheena," Drakken said after a few moments. "...I had it built from the ground-up. We had only been living in it for two weeks before...HE came..." He shook his head and opened the door to look around.

Despite being dusty, it was completely intact. Nothing had been taken or destroyed. Monkey Fist followed his comrade into the house. He had to admit, it had wonderful style, and the green and blue motif was actually very tasteful. He wandered into the dining room and froze when he saw a large, dried puddle of blood on the floor with smears and a trail leading to another room to accompany it.

Drakken was already in the room and was staring at it with an ill expression on his face, his hand subconsciously touching his abdomen. "...This is where he tried to kill mine and Sheena's child," he said, his voice almost dead. Monkey Fist shuddered slightly, and took a step further into the room, a convulsion running down his spine; Mystical Monkey Power had been used here; he could practically smell it. And it had been used to create that vile stain on the floor.

"What did you come here for?" he asked Drakken, seriously wanting out of this house. Drakken snapped out of his moment of trauma and turned toward the stairs. Monkey Fist once more followed, not wanting to be in that particular room any longer.

Drakken paused in front of a closed bedroom door for a moment before opening it to reveal what Monkey Fist knew was to be a nursery. It had a beautiful view of the beach, and the walls were painted Caribbean blue and seafoam green. Drakken looked at the room for a moment before shutting the door and continuing on to a bigger room, his own room.

The usual green-and-blue motif decorated the room, which was nearly spotless. Drakken turned to a large vanity that belonged to his fiance and rummaged in the jewelry drawers, pausing to pick up a photo booth strip when he saw it. He remembered that; it was when Shego was being influenced by the Moodulator chip. He was still amused that she had kept it. He put it back and continued to look through the drawers.

While Drakken seafrched for whatever it was he was looking for, Monkey Fist contented himself with looking around the house. This house really did have good taste, he thought to himself. Settling down seemed to have been really good for Drakken and Shego. He saw several pictures scattered about the place, most of them photographs of people Monkey Fist assumed to be family members, but some of them depicted Drakken and Shego together in what looked to be either vacation spots or during parties.

His searching led him back downstairs to the living room, which was thankfully on the other end of the bottom floor away from the dining room. A large plasma screen TV, the usual blue-and-green motif, and what looked to be some papers on the coffee table. He picked one up to see a few red marks depicting wrong answers. Test papers. He looked at the folder, and deduced that Shego was now a high school teacher.

He put the paper and folder down and looked at a few more pictures; more of Drakken, Shego, and several respective family members...some on vacation... He came to a stop at one picture and picked it up. It was a picture of an underdeveloped baby via ultrasound. He turned it around and saw that the date was from several months ago. This was Drakken and Shego's baby.

Come to think of it, Monkey Fist couldnt help but think, he didnt even know the gender of the baby. Did Drakken even know? He put the picture back down on the shelf where he'd found it and turned to look out the sliding-glass door at the beach view. It was no little wonder why Drakken and Shego chose this spot; at this time of day, the ocean water was a lovely swirl of blue and green color.

He was too busy admiring the view to notice a small crack appear in the ground just outside the sliding glass door, but he DID notice when a tree literally sprung from the ground and grew at a manic pace right in front of his eyes, causing him to yelp in shock and fall back to the ground. His shock only grew when Drakken CAME OUT OF THE TREE as though he were walking through a door, and blinked upon seeing his comrade sprawled out in shock from behind the other end of the glass door.

Drakken opened the door and poked his head in. "I'm done here. Come on." He left the glass door open and with a short gesture of his hand, made the tree slip back into the earth where it had come from, leaving only a small, shallow hole of dirt where it had grown. Monkey Fist blinked at the spot for a moment before getting up and gathering what dignity he had left after that spectacle he had made of himself and following Drakken to wherever he was going.

"Could you not have just used the stairs?" he found himself grumbling to his blue compatriot. He swore he saw Drakken smirk at him.

"I could have," he replied dismissively. "But I enjoy the outdoors more than I should...if not for Sheena, I would probably have slept outside while staying with the Possibles."

"Mm," Monkey Fist commented absently. "...How ever did you manage that? Staying with the Possibles, I mean." His eyes caught Drakken's fist clench slightly.

"After what HE did, Sheena used one of my hovercrafts to get to the Possibles' place," he said, sounding a little terse. "Kimberly's mother is a surgeon, and Sheena doesnt trust hospitals, so that was the only place she trusted, as far as she could think clearly. I cared far too much for her safety and the safety for our child for us to return here, so we ended up staying there." He suddenly stopped walking, and looked around. "...This should do."

"Do for what?" Monkey Fist queried, watching Drakken look around an isolated clearing in the woods behind his house. Drakken knelt down on the ground and brushed a few leaves out of the way so only the solid earth remained.

"For finding 'Z'," Drakken replied, looking up at Monkey Fist. "You might want to make yourself comfortable...I dont know how long this will take."

"Oh, dont tell me," Monkey Fist griped, sitting down on a fallen tree trunk. "You're going to talk to the Earth and it will tell you where 'Z' is?"

"Precisely, Monty. Now dont bother me, no matter what...if my concentration is broken, I'll have to start all over again." Before Monkey Fist could respond to that, Drakken pulled off one of his black gloves and pressed his bare palm to the ground, and as though a switch had been flicked, his whole body seemed to turn off.

It all looked rather dramatic, but even Monkey Fist couldnt deny the fact that the air around him seemed...different. Like a bunch of people were surrounding him and whispering secrets that he couldnt seem to catch, no matter how hard he strained to hear. It made a shudder run down his spine.

Nevertheless, he sat back and did indeed make himself comfortable, absently wondering if there was anything to eat around here.

* * *

...Two. Days. And STILL nothing.

Monkey Fist was very close to stalking up to Drakken and whacking the former megalomaniac over the head with the scabbard of the Lotus Blade, but he restrained himself from doing so. Drakken hadnt moved an inch from the position he put himself in two days ago, and he was even beginning to root. Literally. Vines were sliding out from under his coat and had buried themselves in the ground.

Monkey Fist had in fact found some local fruits to eat, but it wasnt very much. At least there was a natural spring close by for water as well. And the weather HAD been nice. But he was still ancy and quite bored and admittedly a little worried; Drakken hadnt moved, eaten, drunk, or even seemed to BREATHE for two whole days, and God only knew how much longer it would take.

He looked up at the sun, noting that it was still early; not even noon yet, then looked over at Drakken, who was still, yes you guessed it, in place and not moving. Brilliant. He heaved a sigh and on a whim, bent his knees and took a giant leap upwards, grabbing onto the lowest branch of a tall tree and flipping himself up to the next branch, then the next and the next until he was at the top of the tree and looking over it toward the ocean. A marvelous sight, he had to admit. And the climb up HAD been a bit exhilerating.

He watched over the lovely horizon before a small sound from below turned his attention downward, and he saw the vines around Drakken's body snap out of the ground and whip around before receeding back under the coat. Ah, FINALLY some response! Monkey Fist took a breath before taking a leap backwards, as though diving headfirst into a pool, then at the last moment reached out and grabbed onto a branch and flipped himself upright before jumping down to the ground next to Drakken.

...Alright, admittedly, not his most shining idea; the vines snapped outward straight through Drakken's coat and whipped around his body. Drakken himself jumped up from his position on the ground and into a fighting stance that did not look amaturish at all, before coming to his senses. "Oh...sorry about that." Drakken retracted his vines and turned his head to look back at his coat. "...Damn it all, not again...!"

Monkey Fist brushed himself off and looked at Drakken's coat. "...Does this happen often?" he asked. Drakken grumbled.

"Enough times for me to be forced to shop at Smarty Mart to save money on all the clothes I accidently ruin," he replied. "Now what am I supposed to..." He broke off when the coat's threads began to merge themselves back together until the back of the coat looked as new as when he'd first got it. "...Well. Thank you, Wade, for thinking ahead."

"Where on Earth was THAT technology when I had to keep replacing my gi every week?" Monkey Fist queried to himself before snapping back to the matter at hand. "Well? Did you find him?" Drakken also brought himself back to the present, and nodded.

"I did," he replied. "And he IS in Canada, which is why it took me so long to track him."

"...'Track him'?" Drakken nodded. "Alright, I'll bite. HOW?" Drakken sat down on a fallen tree trunk and held out his hand; a cluster of vines slipped out of the ground and a bundle of strawberries grew and deposited themselves into Drakken's hand. Drakken began to eat the strawberries almost ravenously as he spoke.

"When my palm is to the ground, I can 'speak' with any plant as far as my consciousness can go," he said after swallowing. "I spent all that time pushing farther and farther, all the way to Canada, before I finally 'spoke' to some trees who knew where 'Z' was located."

"And?" Monkey Fist asked impatiently. Drakken sighed.

"My guess is, he's being either ironic, or making fun of us for being in such an 'in your face' location, as far as Canada goes," he said, gesturing to Monkey Fist. "He's in British Colombia."

Monkey Fist was silent. "...Why...am I NOT surprised?" he asked, mostly to himself. Drakken shrugged, then stood back up.

"Off to British Colombia, then," he said, pressing a button on his Kimmunicator. "Wade."

"Hey, Dr. D, what's up?"

"British Colombia."

"Canada it is, then?" Drakken nodded. "So, you need a ride there?"

"We need a ride as far as just past the border," Drakken said, making both Wade and Monkey Fist stare at him.

"Why just the border?" Wade asked. "British Colombia is HUGE, Drakken!"

"I know," Drakken replied. "But better we travel most of the way on foot, than by plane or other vehicle that 'Z' can easily trace and destroy at any point he wants. I'd rather not endanger any more lives than necissary."

"Gotcha," Wade said, nodding.

"How's Sheena?" Drakken suddenly asked.

"She's worried about you, but other than that, she's fine," Wade replied, smiling. "She had another ultrasound, and the baby's perfectly healthy. You two SURE you dont want..."

"No, Wade, for the last time, we do NOT want to know the gender," Drakken said. "We want to be surprised."

"Okay, okay," Wade said, typing. "If you can make it about twenty miles north, I've set you and Monkey Fist up with a plane ride just past the border. Stay safe, guys!" With that, Wade signed off.

"Perfect, I know just the place he mentioned!" Drakken said, beginning to walk back to his house. "Let's go, we'll take one of my cars there."

"ONE of your cars?" Monkey Fist asked. Drakken shrugged.

"Sheena and I have two different careers," he replied. "We need different cars." They made it to Drakken's house, and Drakken opened the garage door to show off a room almost as big as his house's ground floor.

"Why on Earth would you need a garage this large?" Monkey Fist asked, bewildered. Drakken shrugged again.

"...I keep more than cars in here," he replied off-handedly. He selected a plain black Sedan, obviously his own car, and pulled the spare key from behind a small door in the wall and started it up, throwing his bag into the backseat. Monkey Fist got into the passenger side, and Drakken drove them both out of the garage and into the street.

They were quiet for a few miles, then Drakken spoke up. "How do you think we're supposed to defeat 'Z'?" he asked. Monkey Fist looked over at his comrade.

"...I dont know," he replied. "I DO know...that we must kill him, though." Drakken gave Monkey Fist a sharp glance.

"How?" he demanded. Monkey Fist reached behind him and brought back a long, thin object wrapped up in a silk cloth. He unwrapped the object to reveal a sword.

"...The Lotus Blade," Monkey Fist replied. "If this was not meant to be something of an assassination mission for the greatest of the greater good, then I dont think Master Sensei would have let me leave without it. He MADE SURE I brought it with me. I think this may be the only thing that can kill him."

Drakken's fingers clenched around the steering wheel tightly. "...I really dont like the idea of killing someone," he said softly. "It had always been my Achilles Heel of villainy..."

"Then it's a good thing you're paired with someone who HAS killed, and is WILLING to kill again," Monkey Fist replied, his voice even and hard. "...However, this will be my last kill. There is no reason for me to kill anymore..." He closed his eyes as though in pain. "...All those months of soul-searching made me rethink everyone I hurt or killed, trying to attain Ultimate Mastery...and I'm disgusted with what I've done for a destiny that wasnt even meant to be mine..."

Drakken nodded, even though Monkey Fist couldnt see him. He understood completely; not about the killing part, no, but he DID understand hurting people for something that was never meant to be. It was entirely superfluous, looking back on it, when in the present, he was completely happy with just his fiance, unborn child, and civillian job. He was HAPPY with it. He allowed a soft smile to come across his face at the thought.

Monkey Fist was finishing his thoughts; "But I know what my destiny is now," he continued, "and I'm willing to do everything it takes to retain order in the world." He glanced down at the Lotus Blade, which he could feel pulsing with energy in his hands. "...We have nothing left to lose in this world..."

That comment caused something to strum painfully within Drakken's heart; he nearly slammed on the breaks, and Monkey Fist barely had time to jerk his hand to the dashboard to keep from pitching forward. "Drakken, what on EARTH -?" He broke off when he saw the livid expression on his comrade's face, and the other man's midnight-blue eyes glare daggers into him.

"YOU may have 'nothing to lose' in this world, MONTGOMERY," he spat, turning his eyes back to the road, "but I have two PRICELESS things to lose if this doesnt go right! I said that I dont like the idea of killing, but I am WILLING to kill if it means saving my family!" He made a left turn, and Monkey Fist could see a private airfield. "I have PLENTY to lose, Monty, and THAT'S why I'm going to do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING it takes to set this right! I would HIGHLY suggest you do the same!" He parked the car and got out, slamming the door behind him and stalking up to the rather large airplane, the plantlife parting out of his way.

Monkey Fist stared after Drakken for a time, watching the other man speak to the pilot, thinking about what Drakken had said. It was a thoughtless comment, he realized; of COURSE Drakken had so much more to lose than him. Lord Montgomery Fiske had no family, no real friends, no one he had to fight for. The one thing he DID have to fight for was the balance of good and evil as his sacred duty as a Monkey Master. But still, even THAT paled in comparison to what Drakken had to fight for.

Monkey Fist sighed and got out of the car, reaching in to grab his and Drakken's bags before heading up to the plane. He walked extra slowly as he thought about his own life, recalling what he'd heard someone influential in his life in his university days say, something about how a man must make his own worth, or something like that.

...And it suddenly clicked for him.

Drakken had left the villainy world after nothing worked for him there, and instead created his own worth in the form of a loving, supportive fiance, a provider, and a soon-to-be father. And THAT kind of worth was priceless.

...So what did Monkey Fist have? He had no family or friends, but he DID have the prophesy and destiny of being a savior of the Earth. He had his duty as a Monkey Master. And when the battle was over, he had both his home in England and a home in Yamanouchi to go back to. He felt the pulsing of the Lotus Blade on his back, and felt a smile come across his face; he even had the Lotus Blade, a sentient artifact in and of itself that chose him at its Master.

It wasnt much, but it WAS something. But if they lost...he would have nothing.

It was either have something, or have nothing. And Monkey Fist chose 'something'.

_'I swear,'_ he thought, talking mostly to the Blade,_ 'I will defeat 'Z' no matter what the cost to myself. I swear it upon my Power...I swear it upon my Blade...I swear it...'_

The Lotus Blade pulsed frantically as though a reminder that it would hold Monkey Fist to that promise. And he WOULD keep that promise. He WOULD. No matter what.


	14. Dues

**This is more of a filler chapter, than anything, but...enjoy it.**

* * *

Kim awoke to an unnatural silence everywhere around her; it was one of those dead silences that practically smothers you, letting you know that all was not well. Still, she kept her eyes closed and pretended to still be unconscious; years of training taught her to use that time to survey her surroundings using the rest of her senses.

She couldnt hear a thing but her own heartbeat and breathing, but she could smell something; it smelled metalic and almost sterile, like hospital equipment. But she also smelled something else...something close to a dull animal scent. Through her eyelids, she guessed that wherever she was, it was dimly lit. As for what she felt...

Kim hesitantly made the barest hint of movement, and immediately felt that she was restrained. Taking a moment to gather her bearings, she felt that she was about diagonal-level with the floor, with her hands restrained over her head. More restraints held her ankles in place, and a something around her middle held her completely restrained.

Sudden movement to her right made her jerk in surprise, and she hesitantly opened her eyes.

Immediately, she wished that she hadnt.

The first thing she noticed was she was dead in the middle of an ENORMOUS room, around the size of a football field, bleacher stands and all; the 'stands' held capsule-like devices that were opened. Dim lights from the ceiling barely illuminated the huge room, but it was more than enough light to reveal what else was in that room. Creatures that looked like crosses between crudly-crafted cyborgs and monkeys were EVERYWHERE.

And every single one of them was looking right at her.

It was all too surreal, Kim thought; these cybernetic monkey-creatures all staring at her, but not making a hint of a sound; like they were guarding her but not supposed to let her know. It was strange, freaky, and wrong-sick, in Ron's words...

Ron.

Kim's eyes widened, and she pulled at her restraints slightly. These creatures...they were like the same ones that had attacked Yamanouchi! They HAD to have been sent by Ron! How else could they have known such advanced Tai Shing Pek Kwar and taken her out?

That only meant that this place -wherever she was- was where Ron had been hiding all this time! Damn it, if only she could get to her Kimmunicator and call Wade...!

"Well, look who's finally awake!"

It was all Kim took not to yelp in shock at the sound of that voice. She looked around wildly for a moment before her eyes settled on a figure sitting in a chair RIGHT across from her, not ten feet away. How she had missed him was completely beyond her. Kim couldnt find words to vocalize what she felt right now, so all she could do was look at the Ron she hadnt seen in so long.

As dim as the light was, and the fact that he was sitting down, his legs crossed almost elegantly, it didnt deter from the obviousness that Ron had changed a lot since she had last seen him, the copied 'message' from him to Wade included. Ron's blonde hair had grown out, the tips barely brushing his shoulders and his bangs, which were kept out of his face with a pair of red and black goggles resting on his forehead, falling below eyeline. His face had thinned out to a full maturity, but even from almost ten feet away, Kim could see that he still had a few freckles on his face. But what really struck her were his eyes; instead of the warm, milk chocolate brown they once were, they were now a -literally- glowing gold. But despite the glow, they struck her insides cold as ice.

As though he sensed her looking him over, 'Z' stood up and grinned, holding his arms out from his body. Kim saw that he was wearing an odd ensemble of charcoal-grey, black and purple; he looked to be wearing a pure charcoal-grey one-piece with a purple Oriental-inspired vest over it, the fold crossing his chest and clasping on the right-hand side of his body with four golden clasps. Black shin-high boots and gloves, and a gold belt with a buckle adorned with a red Z completed the ensemble. However odd the outfit was, it took nothing away from the obvious toned and powerful physique underneath. "You like?" he asked, his voice purposely dripping with innuendo. "I havent spent the last six months doing nothing, Kimberly."

Kim snapped out of her stupor; the tone of his voice almost cut her like a knife, she noticed. Gone was the happy, slightly-high-pitched voice of her best friend; it was replaced with a dark, cold baritone that she almost didnt recognize. When she didnt answer, Z put his hands on his hips and mock-scowled. "All that training, and you have no commentary? I'm hurt, Kimberly, so deeply hurt." He suddenly smirked. "No, wait...no I'm not. It JUST occured to me," he drawled out, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "that I dont CARE what you think."

"Ron..." Kim whimpered, flinching away from the piercing of his voice; it was so disturbingly odd that it LITERALLY felt like his words were physically cutting into her. "...Ron, why are you acting his way...?" She shifted around in her restraints, trying to keep the tears from her eyes. Z's golden eyes narrowed coldly at her as he remained silent. "Ron?" Silence. "DAMNIT, RON, ANSWER ME!"

So quickly she never saw it, Z was suddenly in front of her, his body barely inches from hers as his left hand slammed into the narrow area between her head and the very edge of the slab she was restrained to. Kim's breath stuck in her throat as she was forced to look Z right dead in the eyes, and she felt as though she might as well be looking into the golden depths of Hell itself. Glowing and pupil-less, his eyes were a swirling maelstrom of inhuman power; power she could FEEL radiating off of him in waves of warning and cruelty.

"I do not answer you, Kimberly," he said after a few moments, reaching up to stroke a finger down her jawline and elicting a gasp and a flinch from her, "because I am not Ron. As Wade must have shown you in that recording of my last little chat with him, I am Z, Ronald's other half that's been there since birth."

Kim's jaw trembled as she dared to shake her head. "No," she replied weakly, but defiantly. "No, you're Ron! You're...you're the Ron you ALWAYS were! The Ron I KNOW!"

"Which just goes to show just how little you actually KNOW," Z retorted, mocking her. "I know that YOU know that I am who I say I am. You've read the reports from Ronald's past. You know that at age two, he was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. You know that I was that other identity...before YOU came along!"

Kim could feel her heart breaking at the pure HATE in his voice, and felt a tear run down her face. "...No..." she murmured.

"Yes," Z hissed, his golden eyes a-swirl in a storm of cold cruelty. "Ronald was a genius...a prodigy of his time...a leap on the evolutionary scale! Talking at seven months! Completely literate at age three! With my guidence, he would have done things for this world that would have jumped it forward into the 30th century in terms of advancement!" His eyes flashed and the room suddenly turned cold; around them, the monkeys began to chatter anxiously.

"...But then YOU came along, and FUCKED everything up!" Z slammed his fist into the narrow space with such force, Kim felt the edge of a dent right under her head. She whimpered and clenched her eyes shut, willing herself NOT to start sobbing. Ignoring her, Z continued. "You, and your 'I can do ANYTHING' attitude that intimidated Ronald into subservience to you! You held him back, even though you KNEW that he was capable of so much more! You NEVER helped him! You KEPT him down because YOU were intimidated by HIM!"

Kim could hear Z growling at her, and practically felt his golden gaze penetrate her flesh. "You didnt really show it, Kimberly, but you actually feared for your life when Ronald became influenced by the Attitudinator; you remembered what you had read in Wade's reports about him. When he showed up at his cousin's wedding and showed you what he could do...oh, the fear we saw in your eyes..."

Z drew back from Kim to begin pacing as he spoke, and Kim dared to lift her eyelids just enough to see his dim outline.

"Had I been allowed to nurture that genius that is Ronald, instead of being thrown into the broom closet of his psyche and locked away, the world would have been a much better place than it is..." His tone grew softer and almost mournful. Almost. "Ronald would have the recognition he deserves. But he DOESNT. Because of YOU." He turned around to face Kim, his eyes turning into gold fire. He grinned at the fear he saw plainly displayed on Kim's face as he stalked back over to her.

"You have no one else to blame but yourself, Kimberly," he drawled, reaching forward to hold her jaw in his hand tightly and almost painfully. "You intimidated Ronald into locking me away, had him wrapped around your little finger, and then you threw him away, breaking him into a thousand pieces. And I dont like to see Ronald hurt, little Kim...no, no..." His fingers clenched slighly, causing Kim to yelp in pain. "I was there when no one else was, to mend his shattered heart, to let him finally rest when no one else would allow him to. And he's still resting..." He tapped his temple with a finger on his free hand. "...He willingly allowed me to finally take control, and gain revenge on everyone who ever hurt him...but I realized that it wasnt enough..." He let go of Kim's face and turned his back on her.

"...I want the WORLD to pay...Ronald was there to save it every time with you...and they couldnt even give him the courtesy of remembering his name..." He began chuckling, the sound causing both Kim and the cybernetic monkeys to shift uncomfortably. "...But they'll remember it now...they'll be screaming it to the heavens for mercy!" He broke off into a sharp gale of insane laughter, and the monkeys began screeching as if in pain.

Kim was in pain too; her heart was tearing itself apart at the sheer EVIL that was in every one of Z's words and every bark of laughter. She couldnt hold back the tears anymore, and began to sob as Z continued to laugh. She continued to cry, even when Z finished laughing, and was staring at her, grinning like a child in a candy store, until she calmed herself down enough to actually hear what he had to say.

"The world WILL pay, Kimberly," he said softly, reaching forward to brush her tears away, his touch patronizingly gentle. "And you're going to watch it happen. You're going to listen to the nations of the world scream for your help and for my mercy. You're going to watch as the world is granted neither. You're going to witness the bloody, firey downfall of the world, and watch my bloody, firey uprising. And then...only then..." He leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips.

"...Will I finally kill you."

Kim's eyes widened and fresh tears streamed out of them and down her face. Z smiled at her, stroking her cheek with his thumb, then drew back and began walking away, snapping his fingers en route. At once, all of the monkeys stood at attention and turned their disturbing gazes back to her, unmoving, unblinking, and the dead silence drowned the room once more.

"Oh...and Kimberly...?" Kim's breath hitched at Z's voice. There was a brief pause, then, "...I highly suggest that you reflect on everything you've ever done to Ronald, and think back to what you COULD have done, so that you may perish with a clean conscious. Ta ta, now."

The room fell into darkness.


	15. Calm

**So sorry for the long wait, but good news all around-I have a new laptop! And now the updates will commence!**

* * *

**Calm**

The plane ride into Canada took little time, as Drakken insisted on stopping bare miles from the border to travel the rest of the way on foot. Monkey Fist privately objected, considering the amount of land British Colombia occupied, but he kept it to himself; Drakken still hadnt seemed to have forgiven him for the 'nothing left to lose' comment.

He did notice that Drakken, predictably, kept close to the dense forestry, stopping every couple of miles or so to touch the ground and plan out the best route to remain undetected. Wisely, Monkey Fist remained silent during these excursions, even after, for three days.

On the third day, Drakken stood up from his 'talk' with the Earth and looked at Monkey Fist with a serious, anxious expression.

"He's close. VERY close."

Monkey Fist felt a rush of cold apprehension run over his spine. "How close?" he asked.

"Another day's walk." Drakken dusted the dirt from his pants, looking a paler shade of blue than normal. "He's so close I can FEEL him..."

Now that he mentioned it, Monkey Fist could also feel the slight pull of Mystical Monkey Power deep within his core; an almost teasing sensation, like Z was toying with him, egging him on. He quickly shook the sensation off. He wouldnt be letting Z get to him, not now.

"Let's get going," Drakken said, picking his pack back up. Monkey Fist started to follow, but paused. "...What's the matter?"

Monkey Fist glanced at his companion, looking almost lost and frightened, albeit determined and anxious. "...Drakken, we are a mere day's walk away from either the salvation or the destruction of this world as we know it," he said, sitting down on an overturned tree trunk. He took the Lotus Blade off of his back and held it in his hands, as though seeking comfort from it. "...That fact puts things in perspective for me in a way I have never anticipated."

"How so?" Drakken asked, sitting himself down across from Monkey Fist.

"...I said I had nothing to lose in this endeavor," Monkey Fist said slowly, "...but I'm finding that to be most untrue." He glanced down at the Lotus Blade. "...For almost thirty years, I havent had a single thing outside of my own selfish reasons to motivate me to do ANYTHING. And now, all in the course of six months, I find myself wishing-WANTING-to protect this world.

"Drakken...I've never had anyone depend on me before...let alone for anything of THIS magnitude." He looked up, his blue-grey eyes steely. "People who dont even know my name, or yours, DEPEND on us..."

"...I know, Monty," Drakken said, wringing his hands. "...I know."

Silence.

"...We cannot rush into this," Monkey Fist said, his hands tightening around the scabbard of the Lotus Blade. "As with attaining my Power, so must everything be perfectly clear in attaining this victory."

"...I dont follow," Drakken said, arching a brow. Monkey Fist sighed.

"As the Sensei would put it, 'meditate and reflect on it'." He leaned back against a tree, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "That is what I will do, at least...you do as you wish." With that, his eyes closed, and his body shut down as he slipped into mediation mode, leaving Drakken to his own devices.

Drakken stared at the still form of his companion for a good while before sitting back on the ground pensively. It didnt make MUCH sense, he thought, but Monkey Fist DID have a good point. Everything in the world rested on this.

Most important of all, everything precious to HIM rested on this. In his mind's eye, he could see his beloved Sheena, at full term and ready for birth. That beautiful, faithful woman who stuck by him through everything, the good and the pileup up bad. Even when he was undervalued as a person and even as a villain, she was always there.

It only got better after he had a hand in saving the world those years ago; he got recognition, support, and a second chance. And he TOOK that second chance, to legally attain his Doctorate, get a job, and tell Sheena how he truly felt about her and start a real life, free from the demons of his past.

He could practically see it now-he would win this battle, marry Sheena, and have beautiful children together. He would finally do something of true worth in this life, as a husband and a father, and life would be perfect.

Just as quickly as that thought came, another followed, unbidden and unwelcome. He could see himself at Z's feet, beaten and broken, unable to do anything to stop the Apocalypse of terror that madman would bring. And just to add insult injury, he could see Z force him to watch the brutal destruction of his fiance and unborn child, left to wallow in the agony of knowing there was nothing he could do, before finally being killed himself.

Those last visions jolted him back to the present, breaking out in a cold sweat over his body. He clenched his hands tightly, forcing his power to reign in and cam down.

No. It WOULDNT come to that.

He would be sure of it...

* * *

In the mindscape of his own memories, Monkey Fist allowed himself to recount every atrocity he committed in detail, not allowing himself to lie or sugarcoat it any longer. He remembered the ethical boundaries he had crossed, the people he had hurt, and the damage he had done to his own spirit, all for the sake of gaining what he THOUGHT was rightfully his...only to be overshadowed by an 'imposter', a clown of a child who made a mockery of his years of tireless dedication and research.

He recalled the desperate measures he had resorted to with Yono, and the two-and-a-half years of personal Hell of being turned to stone. He remembered the joyous relief of being set free, and being told that his destiny WAS to be a Monkey Master. The freedom of letting go of the pain of his past hurts and being given the opportunity to embrace his present and future.

...Whichever future that came to pass.

On the one hand, should he claim victory, he could see himself in a place of honor at Yomanouchi as the new Sensei, to pass on the traditions of Tai Shing Pek Kwar and ninjutsu to a whole new generation. He would have a home, respect, reverence, and true purpose in life. He would have what he longed for above all.

Peace.

...But on the other hand...

He could see Z taking his Mystical Monkey Power, stripping it out of his very essence; slowly, painfully. Z would use the Lotus Blade to cripple him before ordering those cybernetic abnormalities to tear him limb from limb, laughing the whole time, making SURE that damning laugh was the last thing he would ever hear-!

He was snapped out of his vision by Drakken, who was gently shaking his shoulder. He must have let the horror of that vision show, because Drakken was giving him the oddest and most concerned of looks, but his companion seemed to choose not to comment.

"...We should get some sleep, Monty," Drakken said softly. Monkey Fist nodded, shakily settling down for as much sleep as he could muster.

As Drakken followed suit, both men couldnt help but share a similar dream as they managed to drift off to sleep.

The world that would be saved. The peace they would have. And the futures they would make come true.


	16. Storm

**Storm**

* * *

Dreams were interrupted early the next morning by the sounds of thunder in the distance. Both men woke up, still feeling hazy despite the lateness of the day. Drakken looked up past the canopies of the trees to see the sky grey and clouded over, the smell of heavy rain on the horizon.

"We should get moving," he said, picking his pack up. Monkey Fist nodded assent and slung the Lotus Blade back across his shoulders, heading along with Drakken.

The walk was silent for the most part, but the two shared knowing glances the further they traveled. Drakken, because of his connection to the Earth telling him something was close, and Monkey Fist because the pulse of Mystical Monkey Power was growing stronger and stronger.

At long last, Monkey Fist felt a flutter of Power come from the distance, his guard instantly up. "Prepare yourself," he stated, pulling the Lotus Blade from its sheath.

"Why, what is it?" Drakken asked, mere moments before he felt a trampling vibration in the Earth, signaling that something was indeed heading right for them. "Seriously, what the hell IS that!?"

"I dont know," Monkey Fist said, "but I dont like it. Whatever it is, it's the first wave of attack." Instead of waiting for it to come to him, Monkey Fist raced on ahead, Drakken bringing up the rear.

The pulse of Mystical Monkey Power was so strong Monkey Fist could taste it; but the taste was foul and tainted, making him wish he could spit it out onto the ground. He knew this taste-it was those thrice-damned cybernetic monkeys Z had manufactured from stolen technology and perverted use of Ultimate Mastery.

Indeed, as he charged ahead, scores of the cybernetic monkeys came crashing through the forest, smashing over trees and foliage, shrieking and yowling their coerced battle cries.

Ignoring Drakken's swearing behind him, Monkey Fist staved off the agony he felt pummeling into his mind from the monkeys; thier screams of physical and spiritual torture like a battering ram into his mind, heart, and soul, begging the Monkey Master for relief from this anguish.

As much as it pained him, Monkey Fist knew he HAD to do it. Allowing them to live would be a punishment, not a mercy. And with that resolve in mind, he made quick work of them, willing the Lotus Blade to make it as painless as humanely possible as he cut the cybernetic monkeys down.

It soon became clear that the Lotus Blade was guiding his movements, because by the time it was over and scores of flesh-and-machine body parts littered the forest floor, Monkey Fist was blinded by his tears of pain, his body shaking from what he had just felt and done.

Drakken, who had taken out a few himself, put a hand on Monkey Fist's shoulder. "...Monty...?"

"...Their pain, Drakken..." Monkey Fist stammered, barely above a whisper. "...Oh God, what kind of MONSTER...?" He turned and vomited on the ground, bracing himself up with a hand on a tree trunk. After a few deep breaths, he spat out the remainder of the bile in his mouth. "...What kind of monster who feels this pain I feel would DO this to them...?"

Drakken frowned. "The worst sort," he replied distastefully. He put his hand back on Monkey Fist's shoulder. "Come on, Monty, we have to-DUCK!"

Vines snapped out of the ground and pulled Monkey Fist down as robotic battle drones dove out of the trees, aiming right for their heads. Drakken immediately recognized them, with a sick, squelching feeling in his gut, as Professor Dementor's design.

Monkey Fist jumped up and began the defense against the robotics as they fired off projectiles and lazer bullets, barely managing to keep them at bay. "What the DEVIL are they!?" he demanded of Drakken.

"Professor Dementor's designs!" Drakken shouted back, struggling to think past the anger of having his murdered friend's own designs being used against them. He yelped in pain as a projectile grazed his shoulder.

"Do they have a weakness?!" Monkey Fist yelled, continuing to deflect off the attacks.

"Yes, he ALWAYS had one point of weakness on his designs, I just cant remember WHAT-"

"WELL BLOODY REMEMBER!"

"DONT RUSH ME, MONTY!" Drakken pressed his fingers to his temples. "Same place, always the same place, I figured it out once...what WAS it...?"

"DRAKKEN!" Monkey Fist had to dodge a missile before it hit.

"GOT IT!" Drakken slammed both palms to the forest floor, and vines shot out around every robot the Earth could sense, wrapping around them before finding a hatch behind the left shoulder joint of each one, delving in and tearing at the components. One by one, the drones deactivated and fell apart.

After the last drone was dismantled from the inside out by the vines, both men stood in th middle of the carnage; Professor Dementor's robotic designs strewn about and mingling with the dismembered corpses of the cybernetic monkeys, like a ghoulish science fiction horror story gone terribly awry.

Monkey Fist almost let the Lotus Blade slip from his hands as the full situation that just came to pass crashed into him all at once, but Drakken's supporting hand on his shoulder kept him focused.

"We HAVE to keep going, Monty," Drakken said, though his own voice carried an emotional waver to it. "You put them out of their misery, and now we HAVE to keep going. We're almost there."

Monkey Fist nodded, his hand tightening around the Lotus Blade once more as they both rushed forward, fueled by justified adrenaline, until they both came to a house in the middle of a small clearing, unassuming yet out of place and teeming to the brim with Mystical Monkey Power.

Drakken kicked at the ground slightly near the door, frowning. "...It feels like it goes on forever underground," he said. Monkey Fist slipped into the house and searched around until he opened up a door next to the fireplace, feeling a rush of anticipation when he saw an elevator lift instead of a closet.

"...He's down there," he said, mostly to himself. Drakken nodded, slipping into the lift.

"This is it, Monty," Drakken said, waiting for Monkey Fist to slip in before pressing the 'down' button. The elevator's descent seemed to carry on for hours, each passing second feeling closer and closer to Hell.

The scent of Mystical Monkey Power was almost intoxicating by the time the lift stopped. Drakken took the first tentative step out, his footfalls echoing in the dark, dead silence. Monkey Fist followed, the Lotus Blade pulsing like mad in his hand, letting him know Z was close, VERY close.

It was so dark they almost couldnt see where they were going, but it was just one long, almost endless stretch of hallway with tiny flickering lights lining the way, until they came across a mass of blackness with one thin spotlight.

In the spotlight, dramatically, stood Z, practically glowing with Mystical Monkey Power.

"Welcome," he said, his pupiless golden eyes glowing brightly in the darkness before lights flashed on, blinding them for a brief moment before showing a most unpleasant sight.

The football stadium-sized room was filled to the brim with cybernetic monkeys, who all stood straight and motionless, like dolls yet to be wound up for use. Regardless of their statue-like state, Monkey Fist could still feel the crippling pain in his core.

"DRAKKEN!"

Drakken looked past Z to see Kim strapped to a metal slab, looking scared witless, helpless. Z noticed, smiling madly.

"Lookie there, Kimmie," he said, his eyes still having not moved from being pinned to his two foes. "Two new friends have come to play rescue. How fun."

"You demented bastard!" Drakken spat, clenching his hands in rage. "You insane, demented BASTARD!"

Z waved the insult aside like it was nothing. "Pot calling kettle black, Drakken, nothing more, nothing less," he stated. "But just as it happens, we're ALL mad here, it seems." He shot his hand out to a corner of the room, his Power snapping out like a rope and yanking someone from the dark depths into the front.

"...Good God...Amy!?"

Amy Hall remained cowered on the floor, shaking like mad in the presence of Z, who was grinning down at her like she was a puppy who had done something adorable.

"Yes, sweet Amy," he purred, forcing Amy up with his Power rope, pinching her cheek. "She was MOST helpful in cloning all the monkeys I needed, and then some. Isnt that right, DNAmy?"

Amy whimpered, shaking harder, crying softly. "...I...I never wanted this..." she sobbed, looking almost imploringly at Drakken. "I swear, Monty, I never wanted any of this...!" She let out a cry of pain when Z shoved her across the floor.

"She's served her purpose well these past few months," he said, gesturing around. "All of your friends in so-called villany have, really." He began ticking off examples on his fingers. "The Señors' fortunes funding my needs. Dementor's robotics, Amy's genetic engineering, hell, even Killigan's explosives and pyrotechnics had a few purposes..." His grin broadened. "I dont suppose you caught the little irony in my monkeys, did you? Drakken and Monkey Fist, working together..."

Drakken blanched as he took a better look at the cybernetic monkeys and realized that the cybernetic parts of them were HIS designs. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. "Good God, what have you DONE?!" he demanded.

Z snorted. "I've finally finished my planning, Drakken," he said, "THAT'S what I've done. I'm ready to watch the world burn to ashes, but you two seem to be the only thing standing in my way. But good news to me-I dont have to track you two down. You've come right to me, where I can dispose of you both at the same time."

"Not bloody likely, you goddamned lunatic."

Monkey Fist stepped forward, his eyes flashing sharp as cold steel. "You WILL be stopped, and I WILL kill you for what you've done! An Ultimate Monkey Master should KNOW BETTER!"

"Big words coming from a bipedal second-rate man-monkey," Z sneered. "But very well." He snapped his fingers, the monkeys snapping all at once to attention. "Let the End Game begin."


	17. Battle

**Battle**

* * *

Monkey Fist unsheathed the Lotus Blade from its scabbard, keeping a tight hold on it as it vibrated almost violently from being in the presence of the Ultimate Monkey Master, and pointed it at Z. "Very well," he said, his steel-grey eyes flashing with resolve. "Then I challenge you-Monkey Master to Monkey Master-in a matter of honor!"

Looking almost amused by the declaration, Z, smirked and gave Monkey Fist a mocking bow. "As you wish, M'Lord," he drolled, then snapped his fingers, and every cybernetic monkey in the arena screeched and darted down toward them.

It was like a battering ram made of razors and fire pounding into his mind and soul, listening to and feeling the agony of the monkeys that were charging him, all being forced by their Ultimate Patron to destroy him. The overwhelming maelstrom almost forced Monkey Fist to his knees, but the Monkey Master barely managed to stay upright as he staved off the first wave of attack with a swipe of the Lotus Blade charged with Mystical Monkey Power, disabling those in its path.

But still more came; legions of screeching, anguished souls that screamed for release from the cybernetic Hell that had been wrought upon them, all wrenching Monkey Fist's soul to the point where the Monkey Master wanted to do nothing more than curl up in a ball of pathetic wretchedness and scream and sob and wish for it all to end-

He suddenly hissed as the Lotus Blade sparked painfully in his hand, as though chastising him for even DARING to think such things when the creatures he was meant to patron were suffering in ways he himself could never even IMAGINE. He could almost hear the Blade shout into his mind to FOCUS; to stop being weak and free them from their pain.

Monkey Fist blocked an attack from a cybernetic orangutan about to tear his head clean off and thrust his hand out, connecting it with the ape's chest, forcing out his Power into the suffering creature, who collapsed on the ground, lifeless.

The Lotus Blade sparked in his hand again, keeping his focus and attentions up as he charged the Blade, and dove into the fray, letting the Blade guide itself into relieving the simians of their Hellish fates.

During the mercy killings performed by Monkey Fist, Drakken managed to slither out his vines through the teeming masses of cybernetic monkeys to crush the restraints on Kim and pull her and Amy to safety, knocking back and disabling any monkey that interfered, forming a protective netting around himself and the women.

Amy was sobbing hysterically and Kim was pale as bone, looking too numbed to move. Drakken kept the netting up as he slapped them both.

"Snap out of it and listen to me!" he shouted, getting their attentions. "I'll get you both out of here if you cooperate and not give up on me! Now come on!" He grabbed their arms and pulled them through the hoarde of monkeys, his vines whipping them out of the way and protecting against any attacks, until he was back at the elevator. "Get in! Quickly!"

"But what about you!?" Kim demanded, struggling against Drakken's shoving of her and Amy into the lift.

"Dont worry about me, Kimberly, I'll handle this!"

"Drakken, you cant-" Kim was cut off when Drakken practically hurled her inside and slammed the lift gate shut.

"Go straight up and get out of the house!" Drakken shouted, tearing out the 'down' option and slamming his palm on the 'up' button. "Get as FAR away as you can!"

"NO! DRAKKEN, DONT DO THIS! HE'LL KILL YOU, PLEASE-!" Kim pounded her fists on the gate as it began to rise, hysterical tears pouring down her face. "DRAKKEN-!"

Drakken watched the lift rise to make sure it made its way up, his vines subconsciously snapping the neck of a cybernetic monkey that had charged at him, then headed back in, sealing the exit with steel-like vines so no one could get back in.

...Or get out.

* * *

Monkey Fist yanked the Lotus Blade out of the chest of a cybernetic monkey and poised it for another strike, his adrenaline pounding in his ears, only to find that no more attacks came his way. Slowly, almost painfully, he came down from his battle high, and stared around him.

The massacre in the forest was NOTHING compared to what littered around him now. Blood and flesh mixed with oil and gears was strewn about, almost covering the floor he stood on. The shrieks of pain and agony was silenced...a silence even worse than the screaming.

Monkey Fist couldnt stop himself from falling to one knee, only the Blade keeping him upright as he quelled the nausea that threatened to make its way up his throat.

All those lives...all of those needlessly-destroyed lives...!

"...Why...?" The word slipped from his mouth, his hand shakily resting on the mutilated body of a cybernetic chimpanzee. "...Why...?" His head shot up, a golden light flaring in the backs of his storm-colored eyes. "WHY!? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS!? WHY!?" His rage only intensified when Z's insane, gloating smirk broadened.

"'Why', Monkey Fist?" he mirrored, stepping forward, not even bothering to step over the carcasses of the cybernetic monkeys as he did so, only worsening Monkey Fist's ire. "'Why'? Because I CAN, that's why." He brought his foot down hard on a bone, crushing it with a sickening snap.

"Oh, yes, I'll admit at FIRST, it was all about proving Ronald's true potiential, as I'm SURE that point was proven over and over again.". He gestured around. "It was HIS beautiful mind that fostered the knowledge to build this place, to construct the legion you've just cut down. It was his Power that gave life to this endevor of ours, to pin the ignorant masses down and force their eyes open to what he is capable of!"

Z's eyes glowed brighter, and Monkey Fist could see a tinge of glowing blue around Z's form.

"...But then, I began to realize just how godlike Ronald was...and how he only needed my influence to push past those limitations that kept him down, to bring this Power to light!" He raised a hand, which began to glow with blue fire. "And WITH this Power, I will let the world know that the man who had once never even known his NAME will know it-and Ronald's name will be the name they speak in equivilence to their Lord, their Master, their GOD!"

Monkey Fist began to shudder at the Power Z emitted, but he refused to take even one step back. "You're insane," he hissed, his hand tightening around the Lotus Blade. "You thrice-damned lunatic! How DARE you even THINK Ronald Stoppable would want ANY of that!? He would NEVER have wanted ANY of this! The killing, the torture, this misuse of Power-Ronald would be SICKENED if he knew what you were doing!"

Z sneered at his foe, a look of complete lack of a damn apparent on his face. "This isnt Ronald's show anymore," he replied. "It's MINE. He will appreciate all I have done in time. And the FIRST thing he will appreciate..." The blue glow around Z intensified, the force of the Power flinging the body and cybernetic parts of the monkeys away from his vicinity.

"...Is killing the competition."

Z dove at Monkey Fist with lightning speed, driving his open palm into Monkey Fist's chest. Monkey Fist was thrown back a distance, stunned. It took a good many seconds before he clutched at his chest, biting back a scream of pain.

_'Focus, Fiske!' _he forced himself to think. _'Focus on your Power! Get up!' _He listened to his internal pep talk, focusing his own Power to the blow to his chest to heal the damage Z's strike had given. He sat up and barely managed to roll and dodge to the side before Z came flying down, his foe's foot creating a crater where his body would have been.

Z wasted no time at all in tracking every one of Monkey Fist's movements, blasting a concentrated shot of Power at him. Monkey Fist charged the Lotus Blade with his own Power and deflected the shot, swinging his arm out in an arc to shoot his own concentrated blast right back.

Z laughed as he smacked the blast away like it was a fly. "Is THAT the best you have, monkey-man!?" he demanded, his eyes glowing pure gold as he rushed Monkey Fist again, fast as a flash, and drove a diving kick into Monkey Fist's gut.

Again, Monkey Fist went flying back, this time being crashed into the side of the arena, the force of the crash making him drop the Lotus Blade. He slumped to the ground, biting his lip as several broken bones shifted in his shoulders and arms. He caught sight of the Lotus Blade and reached out to it, only to be shot in the arm by Z's blue Power.

This time, he couldnt help the shriek of pain as every bone shattered in his left arm. He clutched the broken limb with his free hand, struggling to stay conscious as Z strolled over. The Ultimate Master casually raised his hand, deftly catching the Lotus Blade as he summoned it, grinning down at Monkey Fist.

"You know, I honestly expected more of a challenge from you, Fiske," he sighed, absently twirling the Blade like it was a toy. "I mean, from your constant mockery of Ronald being an impostor and a pretender...getting the upper hand EACH and EVERY time..." His grin turned foul. "And now even with unlocking your potential with this Power we share, given to us by the gods themselves...you still sit broken and pathetic before me..." He stopped twirling the Blade, then bashed the side of Monkey Fist's head with the blunt side, knocking him clean out.

"Who's the weak one now, Monty?" Z laughed, bringing the sword back for a final blow, only to be smacked clean across the arena by a large vine. At the same time, vines and tree matter began to cocoon around Monkey Fist, protecting him from the present situation.

Drakken slipped into the cocoon from the inside, grabbing Monkey Fist by the front of his gi, shaking him. "Damn it, Monty, wake up!" he shouted. "Dont you DARE give up now!" He shook Monkey Fist a little harder before slapping a thin vine out across his companion's face.

Monkey Fist flinched before slowly blinking awake, raising his uninjured hand to his bleeding temple, his blurry vision seeking out the source of the shaking and hitting. "...Drakken...?"

"Yes, stupid, Drakken! The hell were you THINKING taking him on alone!? We're supposed to do this TOGETHER, if that stupid Prophesy is right!" He let go of Monkey Fist's gi, sitting back in front of him. "We have to work together, Monty, or all of this will have been for nothing. We have to stop him together."

Monkey Fist was silent, listening to Drakken and reorganizing his thoughts as his Power began to heal the bones Z had broken. "...Yes, Drakken," he said softly, "I know." He put a glowing hand to his temple, healing the broken skin slowly.

Drakken nodded, glancing back behind him. "Look, we CAN do this, Monty," he said seriously. "And I have a plan..."

* * *

As he spoke, Z had recovered from being bitchslapped by a goddamned plant all the way across his arena, and was slashing at the vines Drakken kept throwing his way to keep him back from the plant cocoon ahead. He burnt piles of it into a crisp, and began slashing and wailing away with the Lotus Blade at the cocoon, which couldnt keep up with the Power-fueled strikes.

Finally, Z cracked the cocoon, wedging the Blade inside to pry it open. "Getting REAL tired of your fucking tricks, Drakken...!" he bit out, forcing the cocoon's crack wider and wider apart-

Monkey Fist flung himself out of the cocoon, driving his gold energy-encased fist into Z's face, making the Ultimate Master go flying and leaving the Lotus Blade wedged in the cocoon. Monkey Fist grabbed the Lotus Blade, his body glowing brightly with his gold Power.

"I will NOT lose to the likes of YOU, boy!" he snarled, poising the Blade back for a strike. "If I were to lose to ANYONE, it would be to an honorable and worthy opponent such as Ronald!"

Z froze for a mere second, but that second was all Monkey Fist needed to flash forward to Z and lash at the Ultimate Master with the Blade. Z quickly jumped back, but the Blade managed to slice shallow cuts through his boots and into his calves.

Shrieking with pain and rage, Z charged his hand with his Power and whipped around, slashing out at Monkey Fist's face with wrath-induced speed. Monkey Fist raised the Blade to counter, but raised it too late as the Power erupted, the force of which completely shattered Monkey Fist's right arm and cut clean through his right eye.

Monkey Fist was thrown back, but he managed to land on his feet, his arm hanging uselessly by his side and his right eye socket hissing from the cauterized wound. He called up his own Power to numb the pain as best it could as he charged back at Z, changing the Blade into a Kwan Dao halfway through the strike and managing to cut another shallow strike into Z's midriff.

Before Z could retaliate, Monkey Fist changed the Kwon Dao into a staff, using it as leverage to deliver a diving kick into Z's chest. Z leaned back to avoid the kick, righting himself as he charged his fist with Power and whirled around to drive the punch right through Monkey Fist's back-

-Only to have Monkey Fist's back protected by Drakken, who appeared last-minute in time to have the fist embedded right into his torso.

The arena was dead silent for what seemed like the longest time before Drakken coughed up blood, spraying Z's arm and the floor with it. Z broke out into a smirk as he slowly and painfully rotated his fist into Drakken's abdomen.

"Stupid move, Drakken," he sneered, reveling in Drakken's gagged gasps of pain. "Should have saved your own back instead of his." He twisted his hand again, laughing as Drakken grabbed at his wrist to try fruitlessly to wrench it out. "My only regret of watching you die is that your whore girlfriend and your brat wont be here two witness it. But dont you fret any, I'll take good care of them." He leaned in, his face inches from Drakken's. "I'll make sure they're reunited with you as soon as possible...in fact, they'll be the first to go."

Drakken's midnight-blue eyes widened like he had just been delivered a shock, then narrowed, an enraged expression clouding his face. His hands clenched into fists, and around them, the arena began to shake violently, making several structures crumble and break. Drakken suddenly unclenched his hands, his fingers splayed out straight, and at the same time, the walls and floor exploded with plant life of every imaginable form.

Z tore his hand out of Drakkin's abdomen, gaping with disbelief as the bloody hole began to stitch itself closed; as it closed, Z could see vines writhing under Drakken's skin, and before he could react, Drakken threw his hands out, the thorn-covered vines shooting out to snap around Z's limbs

Z growled and attempted to repel them, then began screaming as the thorns invaded the cuts Monkey Fist had inflicted earlier-cuts he had foolishly neglected to heal. As he felt the thorns sever his flesh and muscle, Z's eyes widened with realization.

He had been set up.

Monkey Fist had cut shallowly on PURPOSE to throw off suspicion.

Drakken had ALLOWED Z to throw his fist into his abdomen.

Z screamed louder, verbally demanding his Mystical Monkey Power to expel the thorns and heal himself, but instead, vines and tree matter glowing with gold Power shot up from the floor to bind his movements, the thorns inside of him glowing with Monkey Fist's Power as well, negating any and all commands of Power on his own part.

After several long moments of struggling, Power-play, and capture, Z was finally restrained, thorny vines visibly crawling under his skin keeping his Power at bay while the vines and tree matter kept his limbs from being of any use. All his Power was good for at this point was keeping the thorns from killing him.

Monkey Fist shakily rose to his feet, looking ready to keel right back over. Drakken was paler than normal, tree matter rising from the flooring taking the shape of a chair for him to sit back in.

"...It's over..." he murmured, his eyes cloudy from fatigue. "...Oh God...sweet merciful God, it's over...!"

Monkey Fist leaned against the tree-chair. "...Not yet, Drakken," he said, his voice shaking. "...We need to...keep him contained...the Mystical Monkey Power will keep him from dying..."

Drakken groaned, leaning his throbbing head back on the tree, looking about ready to cry from the effort it had taken just to get THIS far. Monkey Fist contemplated the Lotus Blade, which had suddenly begun 'singing' to him sadly.

"...kill me..."

Both men froze, a jolt of recognition running through every nerve of their body at the familiar-sounding voice that resonated through the arena, however small and weak it was. Both turned slowly to see Z staring at them.

...No. Not Z.

_Ron._

Ron's chocolate-brown eyes, streaming blood-and-sap-infused tears, were staring at them, not Z's hateful golden ones. Ron saw their recognition and let out a choked sob.

"...Please...!" he managed to choke out. "...Please, for the love of God, kill me...!"

Monkey Fist's legs collapsed from under him; Drakken's hands clenched around the bark of the tree-chair like it was his very lifeline. Their hesitation only made Ron sob harder.

"...Please!" he cried, tears pouring down harder. "...Please...m...my Power can only...hold these off for so long...!...The Lotus Blade...only the Lotus Blade can k-kill him...!"

His eyes searched out Monkey Fist, whose shaking hand was still clenched around the Blade. "...Please, Monkey Fist...! Kill me!" When Monkey Fist showed signs of about to shake his head no, he let out another sob. "Kill me! Kill me, or he'll come back!" His head fell lax on his shoulders before he shook it almost violently and lifted it back up. "He wont l-let you win again if he comes back! He'll finish what he started!"

Still, both men said nothing, frozen in shock and disbelief, unable to comprehend what Ron Stoppable was saying. Sensing their lack of understanding, Ron let out a pained whimper, clenching his eyes shut.

"...I never wanted ANY of this to happen...what he's done...it's all MY fault...I'm so sorry...!" He let out another sob. "I'm so sorry..."

Silence from the other two, silence from Ron.

"...I want nothing more than to rest in peace...knowing HE cant do anything to anyone ever again...!" He opened his eyes again, looking at Monkey Fist. "...Please, Montgomery...please, give me peace...give the WORLD peace...please..."

Monkey Fist was silent for the longest time, then he slowly stood up, stepping toward Ron until they were a mere foot apart, and stood there, looking down at his young compatriot in Power for the longest time, an unreadable expression on his face.

Finally, he spoke, "...If anyone on this Earth deserved Ultimate Mastery," he said softly, "...it was you...Ronald." He raised the Lotus Blade slowly. Drakken shakily stood up giving Ron the saddest of smiles.

"...Goodbye, Ron Stoppable," he said, tears of his own pouring down his face. "...It was a pleasure to have known you..."

Ron's pained face broke out into a smile, one both men remembered from long ago, and closed his eyes.

"...Thank you."

And the Lotus Blade sang the saddest of songs as it was brought down.


	18. Victory

**Victory**

* * *

Despite what Drakken had instructed her to do, as soon as Kim was out of the house, she made Amy sit down to help with the shock and ran back to the house, only to have steel-like vines blocking the entrance. She spent what seemed like hours tearing at them and hitting them, crying and screaming to be let in, begging Drakken not to die.

Finally, she exhausted herself out, slumping back against a tree next to Amy, too mentally and emotionally tired to cry or beg anymore.

Everything was silent for a long time, then Kim jumped when it felt like the Earth was erupting beneath her, the trees and foliage bursting anew with blooms and growth, covering the house and all around it, until the eruption-like quakes stopped.

Then there was silence.

Kim and Amy looked at each other, wondering just what the hell had happened, but neither had a clue, though Kim knew it had something to do with Drakken, she just didnt know WHAT.

Finally, after what seemed like forever of waiting with anticipation, Kim saw a split appear in the vines on the house, and her heart leapt with relief and joy when she saw Drakken stumble out of the house, assisting a weakened and injured Monkey Fist in walking with him.

Kim ran up to them, throwing her arms around Drakken's neck. "Thank God you're alright!" she sobbed, almost completely undone by this point. One of Drakken's vines awkwardly petted her back comfortingly until she calmed down.

After wiping her eyes dry, she asked the question that lingered in the air, "...what happened to Z...?" Drakken's eyes flinched at the syllable, but his face remained passive.

"Gone. For good." Behind them, Amy let out a wail of relief and began crying again. Kim bit her lip, wringing her hands.

"...And Ron...?"

Next to Drakken, Monkey Fist's left hand began to tremble, his eyes slipping down to look at the bloody Lotus Blade still clutched tightly in his fist. Kim's eyes followed the line, and began watering, and she turned to the plant-covered house.

Drakken put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. With a serious expression, he said, "Ron is not to be disturbed from his tomb, Kimberly."

Kim put her face in her hands and began sobbing again; this time, Drakken put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"We have to go now," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "We have to leave...do you understand?" Kim nodded into his shoulder before drying her eyes again as best she could, walking over to help Amy up.

Silently, all four of them stumbled through the forest, none daring to say a word, as the day slipped into night.

As exhausted as they were, nobody could find the will to sleep, and the rest they took during the night seemed to stretch on into eternity before daybreak suddenly came, signaling they should move again.

Kim was trying to rouse the near-catatonic Amy into getting up when a distant sound put three out of four on guard. Monkey Fist had the Lotus Blade out and ready to use when to their shock, Wade came flying in on Drakken's Mach 2, barely making it screech to a halt before it passed them.

"Wade!" Kim cried, running up to clamber on and hug her friend. "God, Wade, how did you-?"

"Drakken's Kimmunicator," Wade said, pointing to the half-broken device around Drakken's wrist. "I got static most of the time, but it came back online in time for me to hear they beat Z..." He gulped. "...And in time for Shego to go into labor."

Drakken's eyes widened as he practically tossed Amy and Monkey Fist into the Mach 2 and shoved Wade aside to take the controls and zoom away so fast everyone else was thrown back to endure the ride.

* * *

Back in Middleton, Anne had shooed the twins out after Sheena went into labor and threatened them with bodily harm if they even THOUGHT about taking her to a hospital. Now she was ten hours into labor and screaming for her fiancé.

Anne was doing her best to make it as easy for her as she could, but Sheena couldnt be consoled. She was having her baby and Drakken wasnt there with her. All she could think was that Z had killed him, and she would never see him again.

"Sheena, you have to give birth now!" she implored. "You cant hold it in anymore, so stop trying!"

"I CANT!" Sheena screamed, her glowing hands burning through the sheets. "I WANT DREW!"

"I know, but I cant do anything about that! You HAVE to start pushing, Sheena!"

Sheena let out a pained sob and sat herself up, preparing to push, when the door flew open and Drakken came running in, completely out of breath.

"I'M HERE! I'M HERE, SHEENA-" He was cut off when Sheena grabbed the front of his jacket violently.

"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN YOU SON OF A BITCH!?" Sheena shrieked. "I SWEAR TO GOD, AFTER I HAVE THIS BABY I AM GOING TO TEAR YOUR DICK OFF AND BEAT YOU WITH IT!"

Drakken ignored the threat and hugged Sheena tightly. "Do whatever you want, AFTER the baby is born, okay?" he said. Sheena let out another scream, her glowing hands sizzling into his arms, but he refused to pull back as he and Anne coaxed Sheego into pushing...

...and giving birth to a baby girl.

Sheena fell back on the bed, exhausted but smiling as she heard the baby crying. Drakken looked over to see Anne wrapping the baby up in a blanket, crying softly. "She's perfect, Sheena," he said.

Then he passed out from sheer exhaustion.

* * *

After assuring Sheena that Drakken was perfectly fine, simply tired and in need of rest, Anne situated her and the baby with his sleeping form and turned her attention to Monkey Fist.

His wounds were superficial by this time, his Power having healed most of the major ones, but nothing could be done about his right eye. He only nodded at her prognosis of never having his eye again, and spent quiet time to himself to clean himself and the Lotus Blade up, washing the foul stench of that battle away as best he could.

Instead of quick shower he had intended it to be, Monkey Fist found himself leaning against the shower wall, numbly letting the hot water pour over him as his mind forced him to relive those last moments of the battle.

Seeing Ronald looking at him with such longing to have his own life ended...it wasnt how Monkey Fist wanted it to end. He didnt want to plunge the Lotus Blade into the boy's heart and watch the life fade from those chocolate-brown eyes that were so unlike Z's golden, hate-filled ones.

Killing Ronald had been harder on his soul than killing the army of cybernetic monkeys. He, a Monkey Master, had taken the life of the Ultimate Master. It almost felt like an irredeemable sin...something he could never cleanse his soul of, no matter how badly he wanted it to.

He finally managed to drag himself out of the shower and redress before heading out to enquire of the Possibles as to where he would be sleeping. He heard voices around the corner, in the living room, and paused to listen.

Ronald's parents and little sister Hana were there. And Kim had just told them the news.

Gloria Stoppable was sobbing uncontrollably into her hands, her husband hugging a crying Hana to him tightly, looking numbed at the news that his son was dead.

Before he could stop himself, Monkey Fist stepped into the room. "Dont cry." His voice was hard and sharp, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. The Stoppables looked up, almost in shock. "Dont cry. Mourn his loss, but do not cry for how he died." His hand clenched around the scabbard of the Lotus Blade, which had yet to leave his sight.

"Ronald fought that monster long enough to ask for an honorable death, to save the world and everyone in it from HIS wrath. His sacrifice was not in vain." He gave the stunned Stoppables the barest hint of a smile. "You should be so proud of him. I know I am."

With that said, he left the silent room and headed outside, clambering into the house's roof to sit and contemplate the sheathed Blade in his hands.

He WAS proud of Ronald. That indomitable spirit that sacrificed itself for the world... He sighed, looking up at the moon as though its round face held the answers to the questions and emotions on his mind, and then something caught the corner of his eye...

_Ronald?!_

His head turned sharply to what he thought he had seen, only to see nothing but air beside him. He stared at the blank space for the longest time before shaking his head. Brilliant, now he was seeing things.

...But he could have sworn up and down that he had just seen Ronald sitting next to him with a naked mole rat on his shoulder.

Smiling.


	19. Peace

_**Dedicated to alex301 who wished me a horrible death with how much this story sucks. Hilariously ironic the title of this chapter was made two years ago, and his comment was added the day I began writing this. **_

**Peace**

* * *

_"MAZEL TOV!"_

Everyone clapped and cheered as Drew Lipsky kissed his new wife, completely ignoring his mother's hysterical cries of joy at her little Drewbie finally being married. As he led his wife down the aisle, he paused with her to pick up his one-month old daughter from her Uncle Eddie, and look around.

All of his-surviving-friends were in attendance of his wedding to Sheena, including the Possibles, his old college friends with whom he had made amends with, and all of Sheena's side of the family. A few other tag-alongs, such as Yamanouchi Ninja School attendees and Kim's sort-of-not-really boyfriend Ben were also thrown into the mix.

Even the Stoppables had come.

He was happy to have all of them there.

The month leading up to the wedding had been a long and strange one. Nightmares still plagued both his and Monkey Fist's sleep, and the latter took to sleeping outside to avoid the inevitable backlash of Mystical Monkey Power on the house. While Drew managed to drag himself out of the depression for the sake of his soon-to-be-wife and child, Monkey Fist became very quiet and withdrawn.

Drew couldnt blame him. After all, HE was the one to kill Ron.

Regardless, the Monkey Master was able to do his part to help out with the wedding, however small it was, and do so without complaint.

He was drawn back into the present when his daughter tried to stick the rose on his lapel in her mouth. "No, no, Ronda, dont eat that," he said, smiling as he relocated the rose. The baby looked slightly put out, but focused her attentions elsewhere.

Naming her had been no challenge at all. Drew told Sheena what he wanted the baby's name to be, and there was no question about it. Sheena was only happy that the baby was born normal. No blue or green skin. Just a normal pale complexion, with a crown of black hair and bright green eyes. A perfect little girl.

While Drew and Sheena marveled over their daughter, the rest of the guests slipped over from the marriage canopy to the reception area to converse and eat.

Amy helped Duff Killigan into a chair, babying over him in every way possible. Duff flushed at all the attention, secretly reveling in it, but vocally protesting her attempts at CARRYING him from place to place unnecessarily.

The Stoppables were conversing with the Possibles. They were heartbroken over the fate of their only son, but after letting the whole story sink in, they couldnt help but feel pride over horror. Ron had done horrible things, but he had also done great. And Monkey Fist was right. They should feel proud of him.

Hana seemed to know what was going on well enough; she had cried when she heard her big brother was gone, but seemed to find a serene comfort in Monkey Fist's words, something she seemed to pass to her parents.

As cake time rolled around, Kim took Hana off her parents' hands so they could get a slice, holding onto the toddler like it was her last tangible line to what she had lost. It had taken time, but now she was GRATEFUL Drew had shoved her into the elevator so she wouldnt had to have seen Ron die. Still, the nightmares of Z continued to haunt her memory, battling over dominance with her wonderful memories of Ron.

And somehow, she knew that like that final battle, Ron would again emerge victorious.

She gave Ben an encouraging smile after noticing his concerned expression; he had been a saving grace for her during this past month, staying to support her even AFTER hearing of the horrors that had transpired. Despite his wonderful intention to stay, Kim knew it would be a very long time before she was ready to open back up emotionally again, but Ben had assured her that he would wait as long as it took.

Surveying the lot of happy, albeit reluctantly-so folk, Montgomery Fiske stayed back in his own little bubble, as he had stayed the past month. It almost seemed wrong, the frivolity, but he knew deep down that Ron would have wanted it this way; people going on with their lives instead of mourning him for long.

Still.

He blinked and glanced down when he felt a tugging at his pants leg, and saw Hana making grabby-hands for him. He sighed, but smiled, bending down to pick the little girl up.

Hana had become close to him for some odd reason, since his return. Perhaps it was she sensed Mystical Monkey Power in him, that reminded her of her lost brother. Regardless, she seemed to be the only one unfazed by his distant demeanor, and he allowed her the indulgence.

During a visit from Astral Projection Master Sensei, after the 'congratulations-on-saving-the-world' speech and updates on future must-knows, the old Master made a passing remark that Hana was meant to be trained by a Monkey Master before vanishing. So Monty knew Hana's company would be plentiful in the future.

"Care to do me a favor, little Hana?" he asked, reaching into his pocket and taking out a thick envelope. Hana's dark eyes glistened with understanding, and nodded. "Can you take this over to the newlyweds? I'm afraid I cannot stay long."

Hana looked put out by the statement, but nodded and clasped the envelope securely but carefully as Monty set her down on the ground and watched her toddle over to Drew and Sheena before slipping off unnoticed.

Drew was playfully flicking decorative fondant flowers at Sheena's veil, and paused to look down when he felt a tugging at his pants leg. "Well hello there, Hana," he said, smiling. Hana raised the envelope as high as she could reach it toward him. "What's this?" He took it and opened it up, taking out a thick and official slip of paper, reading it over, his eyes going wide. "Montgomery, you sly son of a-"

Sheena slapped a hand over his mouth before taking the paper to read it for herself.

"...Holy CRAP."

Inside was the deed to Castle Fiske and all property it stood on, to be transferred into the possession of Drew and Sheena Lipsky.

* * *

Monkey Fist-as he was affectionately called, rather than villainously-sat quietly on the floor of the Temple, where it had all began for him.

He could hardly believe that shortly ago, he had been here, trapped in stone and enduring a living hell of such hate and evil inside. And now he was free, liberated of all that emotional baggage, having assisted in saving the world, and was handed the honor of being the new Sensei of Yamanouchi Ninja School.

He let out a long, deliberate breath, opening his remaining eye to look down at the Lotus Blade resting quietly in his open hands.

Not a night passed that the killing blow he had dealt Ron replayed itself in his mind. He hoped and prayed endlessly that it would, but knew it may never go away. He now accepted the fact that it was a part of the penance he had to pay for his sins of the past, and considering the direness of his crimes, a lost eye and a recurring nightmare were a fair trade-off.

It didnt make living with it any easier. The blood had long ago been wiped from the Blade, but it didnt stop Monkey Fist from still seeing it every time he looked at the weapon. As if sensing his mixed emotions about it, the Lotus Blade had taken to 'singing' sorrowful and almost apologetic songs to him to east the pain in his heart.

Today was a special day, but the song was not any happier; in fact, it was sadder, if anything. Today was one year to the day that it had been used to slay the Ultimate Master to save the world.

Monkey Fist was paying his respects at an altar built in Ron's memory, in front of a statue to canonize him forever in the Hall of the Masters. Monkey Fist had carved it himself using the Lotus Blade to guide his hand, and now forever stood a statue of the Ron he wanted to remember-strong, honorable, and smiling at the future.

At the base of the statue, on the altar, there was a picture of Ron, happily posing for the picture with Rufus on his shoulder. Even through the photo, his smile was infectious, and Monkey Fist felt a slight tug on the corner of his lips, even as he felt a tear escape his remaining eye.

"...Ronald..." he said softly, his voice echoing in the Hall. "...I'm sorry..." His breath hitched, and his hands clenched around the Lotus Blade to stop the shaking. "...I'm so, so sorry..." More tears poured d own the left side of his face. "I'm sorry I couldnt save you...I'm so sorry...!"

He clenched his eye shut, his head lowered in respect, shame, and sadness, his tears falling on the Lotus Blade, which unbeknownst to him began glowing a soft blue, the sad, mournful song seamlessly slipping into something comforting and almost joyous.

At first he didnt hear the song, but he slowly became aware of it when he heard another sound.

...Laughter.

He raised his head, furious that someone would laugh in this Hall on such a day, and turned around to chastise someone for their disrespect.

Only to see Ron standing right behind him, plain as day.

It was as though time had stopped and worlds collided just for that one moment, when Monkey Fist stared his fallen comrade in Mastery in the face. Pale, freckled skin. Light blonde hair. Chocolate-brown eyes. A smile that could warm a thousand winters. Naked mole rat sitting upon shoulder.

It WAS Ron.

Monkey Fist struggled for something-ANYTHING-to say, and manages to regain just enough motor function to open his mouth when Ron raises a hand for silence. They made eye-contact, and it was as though a hundred conversations went on in his head at once; conversations he couldnt hear, but knew and understood.

_'Thank you.'_

_'For everything.'_

_'I forgive you.'_

_'Live in peace.'_

Monkey Fist fought to sort through what he had just experienced in his head as Ron smiled at him, then bowed...and vanished like the wind had carried him away.

Silence rang through the Hall once more, and Monkey Fist sat, numb, on the floor for the longest time before looking down at the Lotus Blade, which was singing a happy song once more. And for once, the memory associated with the Blade was not there.

And he understood what it meant.

...He had been forgiven.

He smiled and stood up, slipping the Lotus Blade back into its scabbard and slung it over his shoulder where it belonged, and headed out of the Hall of the Masters and into the sunlight.

The perfect, zen moment was interrupted by one of the monkeys from the sanctuary he had built on the mountain scurried up to him, informing that the pregnant golden lion tamarin was giving birth.

Having not missed a single birth of one of the monkeys yet, he hurried to the sanctuary and saw the mother cuddling her newborn. He knelt down close by, being the only one allowed near in these times, and waited until the mother allowed him closer. He slipped forward and looked down at the baby monkey.

While the mother-ever the fussy little thing about her own glistening fur-gently tidied the infant up, the new baby opened its eyes.

While newborn's eyes were cloudy and blueish before turning dark brown, Monkey Fist saw that this newborn's eyes were a rich milk-chocolate color...and only one word came to mind.

"...Ronald."


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

* * *

Evil never dies. But then again, neither does good. And the good are rewarded.

Such is the case with Drew Lipsky, who lived to marry the love of his life, lived to see the birth of his daughter, teach her to walk, dismantle machinery, and run away from Mommy when she finds the mess.

He lived to see Kim's wedding to Ben, and to rekindle his friendship with James. He lived to pass on his knowledge to Jim and Tim to make their high school and college lives much more exciting.

He lived to change his profession into something worthwhile-growing things for those who couldnt normally grow it themselves. He used his powers to help people in need, choosing to be the hero and fixing problems rather than causing them.

He lived to be a father twice more, lived to see them grow and marry.

He lived the fullest life possible, for many years, to where even while many mourned his death, he was still remembered as a hero.

It was at that funeral that the oldest person there, an almost regal, grey-haired man in silk black and gold robes with only one eye, reflected over his own life, which had also been greatly rewarded.

As Grandmaster Fiske, he still ran Yamanouchi, keeping the secrets and ways of the Monkey alive and flourishing. He had long ago taken in Hana Stoppable as his apprentice, grooming her into being his successor someday. She loved him like a second father, smiling in a way only her older brother could have taught her, brightening his life a little more each day.

He had trained many a student the past thirty-odd years, and he knew that he had many more years to go. Mystical Monkey Power did not allow their possessers to age and waste away quite so quickly. Being almost seventy-five now, he didnt look a day past fifty. These days, he grimly thought that the curse of witnessing Ron's death every year had been replaced with the curse of watching everyone waste away. He had outlived some of the older students already, and he had no doubt he would outlive more.

He walked up to the coffin and laid down a black lily with golden flecks-a now naturally cultivated flower Drew had given to him as a birthday gift many years back. "Goodbye, my friend," he said softly, turning and walking off before pausing.

At the memorial altar, the golden lion tamarin that had lived far longer than natural was holding a picture of Drew, staring at it almost sadly. Monty sighed and made a soft clicking sound between his teeth. The monkey quietly put down the picture and scurried over to Monty, nimbly climbing up the Grandmaster with agility a thirty-four-year-old monkey shouldnt have.

"It's time to return home, Ronald," he said, smiling. The monkey chattered away in monkey-gibberish to all outside folk, but it only made the Grandmaster laugh as he walked out of the chapel.

"Of course we'll stop by Bueno Nacho."

**THE END**


End file.
